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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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120 

1.8 


1-4    III11I.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibiiographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantiy  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


D 
D 


□ 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  pellicul6e 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/  % 

Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  nn're) 


I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reiii  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int6rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certalnes  pages  blanches  ajout6es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte. 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  pos»*bln.  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  At6  film6es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires: 


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une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mithode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag^es 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaur^es  et/ou  pelliculdes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  ddcolor^es,  tachetdes  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
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I      I    Showthrough/ 


Transparence 

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includes  supplementary  material/ 
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Only  edition  available/ 
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0 


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obtenir  la  mellleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmad  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  ItX  22X 


26X 


30X 


\y 

^^ 

12X 

16X 

20X 

a4x 

28X 

32X 

k 

The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

University  of  British  Columbia  Library 


L'exemplaire  filmi  fut  reproduit  grAce  d  la 
gAnirositi  de: 

University  of  British  Columbia  Library 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  bjst  quality 
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filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avac  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetA  de  rexemplaire  filmd,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  ilhistratoc'  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimis  sont  film6s  en  commen9ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  an  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impression  ou  d  illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^»>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  chaque  microfiche,  selon  la 
cas:  le  symbole  — »•  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmis  A  des  taux  de  reduction  dlff6rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film6  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

'5 

6 

RICHARD  J    CLEVELAND, 


vVIGATOR 


BATS  tlA?  JiSi' PIST 


m  Tm  ;*^«i!WJiii  Mm  ijnr?EKB 


i.EVELAND 


»^ 


T  4V|> 


'iUARK 


\ 


filCHMiiJ 


VOYAGES 


OP 


A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR 


OF  THE  DAYS  THAT  ARE  PAST 


COMPILED   FROM   THE   JOURNALS    AND   LETTERS 

OF  THE  LATE 

RICHARD   J.  CLEVELAND 


Jfrr 


^>.c<-^ 


BY 


H.  W.  S.  CLEVELAND 


NEW  YORK 
HARPER  &  BROTHERS   FRANKLIN  SQUARE 

1886 


I     I 


Copyright,  1886,  by  HAnrEU  &  BRoraERS. 

All  right*  rtttntd. 

/Sb/73 
G  V/ 


PREFACE. 


Those  who  have  got  beyond  the  childish  belief 
that  happiness  is  the  end  and  aim  of  existence, 
and  is  actually  attainable  in  this  stage  of  it — who 
have  learned  by  the  discipline  of  adversity  and 
disappointment  that  the  grand  object  of  life  is  the 
development  of  character,  while  happiness  is  only 
the  occasional,  incidental  attendant  on  its  pursuit 
•i— will  read  the  following  story  with  an  appreciative 
interest  which  only  such  education  can  afford. 

H.  W.  S.  C. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  , 

Salem,  the  Part  she  Took  in  the  Revolution.— Stephen  Cleveland.— 
Commercial  Activity  Succeeding  the  Revolution,  and  its  Effect 
on  the  Character  of  the  Community Page  1 

CHAPTER  II. 

Early  Years.— Cultivation  of  Commercial  Tastes.— First  Voyage. — 
Voyage  with  Captain  Silsbee. — Letters  to  his  Father.— Voyage 
from  Havre  to  Cape  of  Good  Hope.— Interest  Excited  by  his  Ar- 
rival  13 


CHAPTER  III. 

Voyage  from  China  to  the  Northwest  Coast  of  America.— Letters 
from  Canton. — Difficulties  of  the  Undertaking. — Hardships  of 
the  Voyage.— Mutiny  of  the  Men.— Adventures  on  the  Coast. — 
Safe  Return  to  Canton. 84 

CHAPTER  IV. 

From  Canton  to  Calcutta,  and  thence  to  the  Isle  of  France.— First 
Meeting  with  William  Shaler.— From  the  Isle  of  Franco  to  Co- 
penhagen.—Purchase  of  the  Brig  Lelia  Byrd,  and  Preparations 
for  a  Voyage  Round  the  World.— The  Count  de  Rouissillon.  57 

CHAPTER  V. 

Voyage  of  the  Lelia  %rd— Adventures  in  Chili  and  on  the  Coast 
of  California. — Thence  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  China,  and 
thence  in  the  Alert  to  Boston 70 


w 


vm 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Marriage  and  Settlement  at  Lancaster,  Massachusetts. —  Forced  to 
Resume  Navigation. — Voyage  of  the  Aspasia,  and  its  Ruinous 
Termination Pago  101 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Embargo. — Voyage  to  Africa.— Goes  to  England  in  Search  of 
Business. — Thence,  Secretly,  to  Holland,  and  Home  as  Bearer  of 
Despatches. — Voyage  to  Naples.— Vessel  and  Cargo  Seized  and 
Confiscated.- Life  at  Naples  and  Rome 125 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
From  Italy  to  Lisbon  and  thence  to  England 143 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Transactions  in  England  and  on  the  Continent.— A  Project  Prom- 
ising Great  Results  Defeated  by  the  Failure  of  the  Russian 
Campaign 153 

CHAPTER  X. 

Sails  in  the  Ship  Beater  from  New  York  for  the  West  Coast  of 
South  America.  —  Seized  at  Talcahuana.  —  Plots  to  Take  the 
Spanish  Frigate  Veuffama.  —  Seized  with  Fever.  —  Is  Sent  to 
Lima  in  the  Brig  Canton 167 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Letters  to  the  Viceroy  and  to  Mr.  Astor. — Arrival  at  Lima. — Recep- 
tion by  the  Viceroy. — Goes  to  Valparaiso  on  a  Secret  Mission. 
—  The  Beaver  Restored.  —  Captain  Biddle  Supplies  a  First 
Officer 184 


I 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Operations  on  the  Coast  of  Peru. — Proclamation  of  Blo(  '■:■■'  ^ :,  which 
he  Sets  at  Defiance  with  Entire  Success.— Satisfaqd  ;  of  the 
Viceroy. — Sails  for  Rio  Janeiro .  , .  199 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
Recapitulation  of  tlie  Occurrences  of  Tlirco  Years.— Letter  from  the 
Underwriters,  and  bis  Reply.— Home  Again.— Disgraceful  Con- 
duct of  the  National  Insurance  Company Pago  213 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Failure  to  Secure  the  Proceeds  of  his  Adventures.  —  Pursuit  of 
Arizmendi  to  Hamburg,  and  subsequonlly  to  Madrid. —  Mr. 
Shalcr  Appointed  Consul  at  Havana. —My  Father  Goes  with 
him  as  Vicc-Consul.— Death  of  Mr.  Slialcr.— Obtains  an  Ofllco 
in  Boston  Custom-IIouse.— Takes  up  his  Residence  with  me,  and 

Dies  in  my  House  at  the  Age  of  Eighty-seven 226 

A* 


VOYAGES 

OF 

A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR 

OF  THE  DAYS  THA.T  ARE  PAST. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Salem,  the  Part  she  took  in  the  Revolution.— Stephen  Cleveland.— 
Commercial  Activity  Succeeding  the  Revolution,  and  its  EfEect 
on  the  Character  of  the  Community. 

The  names  of  many  of  the  cities  and  towns  of  the 
old  world  are  associated  in  the  mind  witli  conceptions 
of  character  almost  as  vivid  as  tliose  which  attach  to  in- 
dividual persons. 

We  think  of  some  as  centres  of  intellectual  or  artistic 
cul-ure.  Others  are  invested  with  an  odor  of  sanctity, 
or  call  to  mind  visions  of  decayed  grandeur,  or  an  un- 
defined sense  of  weird  and  ghostly  superstitions.  A 
sort  of  moral  atmosphere  seems  to  hang  over  them, 
which  imparts  its  hue  to  overy  object  or  incident  per- 
taining to  them.  Such  associations  are  naturally  less 
frequent  and  less  palpable  with  us,  and  yet  we  have 
many  towns  which  have  attained  such  reputation  for 
1 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


peculiar  qualities,  resulting  from  cirenrastances  of  past 
history,  that  we  speak  of  events  wliicli  transpire  within 
their  borders  as  being  characteristic  of  the  place,  just  as 
we  should  of  any  person  whose  idiosyncrasies  were  well 
known,  and  we  instantly  recognize  the  effect  of  these 
peculiar  characteristics  in  the  action  of  individual  mem- 
bers of  the  community. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  town  on  this  continent  whose 
name  carries  with  it  such  distinctly  marked  associations 
of  this  kind  as  Salem,  Massachusetts.  There  is  certainly 
none  which  sustained  a  more  important  part  in  the  early 
history  of  the  country,  and  none  which  has  retained  so 
many  outward  evidences  of  its  former  character. 

The  stranger  who  wanders  to-day  through  the  quiet 
streets  of  Salem,  or  lingers  about  her  deserted  wharves, 
is  impressed  with  the  Sabbath-like  stillness  which  per- 
vades them,  and  the  vague  sense  of  departed  vitality 
with  which  they  are  invested.  Old-fashioned  homes 
of  spacious  size,  whose  walls  in  long -past  days  have 
echoed  the  greetings  of  old-fashioned  hospitality,  stand 
apart  in  the  shade  of  patriarchal  elms  or  lindens,  and 
seem  to  plead  with  mute  eloquence  against  the  inno- 
vation of  modern  improvements.  Great  warehouses 
stand,  empty  and  silent,  on  the  vacant  wharves  which 
once  resounded  with  the  notes  of  busy  commerce.  In 
my  younger  days  a  peculiar  feature  of  the  streets  was 
the  frequent  presence  at  the  corners  of  an  old  cannon, 
made  to  do  duty  as  a  corner-post.  It  had  a  picturesque 
effect,  and  was  so  suggestive  of  past  history  that  I  can- 
not but  regret  the  lack  of  taste  which  suffered  them  to 
be  removed.    They  were  most  frequently  to  be  seen  in 


OLD  SALEM.  3 

the  streets  nearest  the  wharves,  which  were  then  lined 
with  ship-chandler's  shops,  sailors'  boarding-houses,  slop- 
shops, etc.,  and  were  filled  witli  the  motley  crowd  of 
sailors,  longshoremen,  and  the  various  amphibious  bi- 
peds inherent  to  such  places.  All  these  have  long  since 
disappeared,  like  frogs  and  tadpoles  from  a  drained 
marsh,  and  no  sight,  sound,  or  odor  remains  that  is  sug- 
gestive of  marine  or  commercial  life. 

Tliere  are,  however,  no  signs  of  the  poverty  wo  aro 
accustomed  to  associate  with  decay.  The  evidences  of 
wealth  and  refined  culture  are  obvious,  and  an  aspect 
of  comfort  and  respectability  is  seen  even  in  the  plain- 
est dwellings,  while  the  tidy  cleanliness  which  every- 
wliere  prevails  affords  no  suggestion  of  squalor  or  want. 
But  the  sources  of  prosperity  are  not  perceptible.  The 
machinery  of  life  is  out  of  sight  and  hearing,  and  the 
man  whose  interest  in  life  is  dependent  on  the  ceaseless 
activity  which  is  the  characteristic  of  our  new  and  grow- 
ing towns  is  apt  to  turn  with  a  sneer  of  contempt  from 
a  place  which  seems  so  dead  to  everything  like  active 
enterprise. 

Yet  the  present  serene  and  quiet  condition  of  Salem 
is  the  final  result — the  "  ripening  off,"  after  fermenta- 
tion— of  such  elements  of  activity  and  enterprise  as  have 
never  been  surpassed,  and  have  exerted  so  important  an 
influence  on  the  destinies  of  the  country  that  they  should 
not  be  forgotten. 

The  part  which  Salem  played  in  the  great  drama  of 
the  revolution  was  unique,  and  constituted  a  vitally 
important  factor  in  the  sum  of  events  which  led  to  the 
final  consummation. 


in 


4  VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  we  entered  npon  that 
contest  with  the  first  naval  power  in  the  world  without 
a  single  ship  of  war ;  with  our  commerce  ruined,  and 
the  ports  of  Boston  and  New  York  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  a  fate  soon  after  shared  by  Newport,  Philadel- 
phia, Savannah,  and  Charleston.  Salem  paw  her  oppor- 
tunity and  proved  herself  equal  to  its  demands.  She 
turned  her  vessels  into  men-of-war,  armed  and  manned 
them,  and  sent  them  out  to  prey  on  British  commerce. 
During  the  war  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  ves- 
sels, carrying  more  than  two  thousand  guns,  were  sent 
out  of  her  port,  and  more  than  four  hundred  and  fifty 
prizes  were  captured  and  sent  in  by  them.  Tliey  cruised 
in  the  English  and  Irish  channels  and  the  Bay  of  Bis- 
cay; they  brought  arms  and  munitions  of  war  from 
France  and  the  French  islands ;  they  intercepted  the 
transport  ships  bringing  reinforcements  and  supplies 
from  England  to  the  troops  in  Boston  and  New  York ; 
they  raised  the  rate  of  insurance  on  British  ships  to 
twenty-three  per  cent.,  and  compelled  England  to  em- 
ploy her  navy  in  convoying  merchantmen,  and  in  re- 
peated instances  achieved  success  by  the  most  desperate 
feats  of  valor. 

A  very  active  part  in  the  promotion  of  this  service 
was  taken  by  my  grandfather,  Stephen  Cleveland,  a 
sketch  of  whose  career  will  serve  as  an  appropriate  in- 
troduction to  the  adventures  of  his  eldest  son,  my  father. 

In  the  year  1756,  when  he  was  but  sixteen  years  old, 
he  was  seized  by  a  press-gang  in  the  streets  of  Boston, 
and  served  for  several  years  on  board  an  English  frigate. 
She  was  first  under  the  command  of  a  very  gentlemanly 


STEPHEN  CLEVELAND, 


oflScer,  who  was  beloved  by  his  crew,  ani  who  after- 
wards became  Sir  William  Trelawney,  Governor  of  Ja- 
maica. 

lie  was  succeeded  by  a  contemptible  dandy,  who, 
among  other  acts  which  excited  the  ire  of  his  crew,  used 
to  go  at  night  in  disguise  between  decks  to  overhear 
their  remarks  upon  himself.  On  one  occasion  he  was 
recognized  by  one  of  the  men  by  the  dim  light  of  a 
lantern,  and,  springing  from  his  hammock  and  calling 
him  by  the  name  of  one  of  his  shipmates  with  whom 
he  pretended  to  have  had  a  difficulty,  he  gave  him  such 
a  thrashing  that  he  kept  his  bed  for  a  fortnight,  and 
was,  of  course,  ashamed  to  make  known  tlie  cause  of  his 
sudden  illness. 

My  grandfather's  service  m  the  British  navy  was  dur- 
ing the  "old  French  war,"  and  the  ship  to  which  he 
was  attached  was  for  a  time  one  of  a  squadron  watching 
a  French  fleet  in  one  of  the  Channel  ports.  He  was 
promoted  to  be  captain  of  the  foretop,  and  afterwards 
midshipman.  After  his  discharge  and  return  home  he 
entered  the  merchant  service,  and  became  not  only  an 
accomplished  seaman,  but,  as  I  have  often  heard  my  fa- 
ther say,  he  seemed  to  have  an  intuitive  skill  in  naval 
arcliitecture,  and  a  better  knowledge  of  proportions  in 
the  building,  sparring,  and  rigging  of  ships  than  any 
man  he  ever  knew. 

This  knowledge  was  turned  to  account  in  a  most  effi- 
cient manner  in  the  service  of  his  country  in  her  most 
trying  days.  His  advice  and  assistance  were  in  con- 
stant demand  for  the  construction  and  fitting-out  of  the 
privateers. 


il   ii 


6 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


The  brig  Pilgrim  was  built  under  his  sole  direction, 
and  proved  one  of  the  fastest  as  well  as  most  successful 
of  the  whole  Salem  fleet.  She  captured  and  sent  in 
more  than  fifty  prizes,  and  was  finally  run  ashore  on 
Cape  Cod  to  escape  captnre  by  the  Chathara,  a  frigate 
of  sixty  guns. 

lie  was  finally  commissioned  by  the  Continental  gov- 
ernment, and  sent  to  Bordeaux  in  command  of  the  brig 
Despatch,  to  procure  arms  and  military  stores. 

The  date  of  his  commission  is  August  8,  1776,  only 
thirty-five  days  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
60  that  it  must  have  been  one  of  the  earliest  naval  com- 
missions issued  by  the  Continental  government.  It  is 
signed  by  John  Hancock,  and  was  accompanied  by  a 
minute  letter  of  instructions  from  a  committee  of  Con- 
gress, of  which  Benjamin  Franklin  was  chairman.  He 
was  the  first  to  display  the  American  flag  on  a  govern- 
ment vessel  in  a  European  port,  and  was  much  feted 
and  caressed  during  his  stay  in  Bordeaux. 

A  curious  illustration  of  the  necessities  to  which  the 
country  was  reduced  is  afforded  by  the  fact  that,  as  we 
had  then  neither  money  nor  credit,  he  carried  out  a  cargo 
of  oil,  fish,  and  potash,  and  made  his  purchases  with  the 
proceeds.  He  accomplished  his  object  successfully,  af- 
ter two  narrow  escapes  from  capture  on  his  return. 

The  spirit  of  active  enterprise  engendered  by  the  war 
found  vent,  when  peace  returned,  in  the  opening  of  new 
channels  of  commerce.  The  merchants  of  Salem  then 
found  themselves  in  possession  of  a  fleet  of  vessels  which 
liad  been  built  expressly  for  privateers,  and  were  much 
too  large  for  the  short  voyages  to  which  they  had  hereto- 


COMMERCIAL  ACTIVITY  OF  SALEM.  *j 

fore  been  restricted,  and  tliey  entered  at  once  upon  the 
commercial  career  of  which,  for  a  period  of  forty  years, 
they  held  the  monopoly.  The  effect  of  this  active  rival- 
ry upon  the  social  character  of  the  town  was  so  marked, 
and  is  so  pertinent  to  my  present  subject,  that  I  feel 
warranted  in  quoting  the  following  from  a  very  inter- 
esting paper  prepared  by  the  Rev.  George  Bachelor: 

"The  foreign  commerce  wliicli  sprang  up  in  the  last  century  in 
Salem  was  the  cause  of  a  wonderful  intellectual  and  moral  stimulus, 
not  yet  spent.  After  a  century  of  comparative  quiet,  the  citizens  of 
this  little  town  were  suddenly  dispersed  to  every  part  of  the  Oriental 
world,  and  to  every  nook  of  barbarism  which  had  a  market  and  a 
shore.  The  borders  of  the  commercial  world  received  sudden  en- 
largement, and  the  boundaries  of  the  intellectual  world  underwent 
a  similar  expansion.  This  reward  of  enterprise  might  be  the  dis- 
covery of  an  island  in  which  wild  pepper  enough  to  load  a  ship 
might  be  had  almost  for  the  asking,  or  of  forests  where  precious 
gums  had  no  commercial  value,  or  spice  islands,  unvisited  and  un- 
vexed  by  civilization.  Every  shipmaster  and  every  mariner  return- 
ing on  a  richly  loaded  ship  was  the  owner  of  valuable  knowledge.  In 
those  days  crews  were  made  up  of  Salem  boys,  every  one  of  whom 
expected  to  become  an  East  India  merchant.  When  a  captain  was 
asked  at  Manilla  how  he  contrived  to  find  his  way  in  the  teeth  of  a 
northeast  monsoon  by  mere  dead-reckoning,  he  replied  that  he  had 
a  crew  of  twelve  men,  any  one  of  whom  could  take  and  work  a 
lunar  observation  as  well,  for  all  practical  purposes,  as  Sir  Isaac 
Newton  himself. 

"This  crew  had  in  Nathaniel  Bowditch  an  uncommon  supercargo. 
But  it  would  be  difficult  now  to  find  a  crew  of  common  sailors  who, 
even  under  such  a  teacher,  would  willingly  master  the  mysteries  of 
tangents  and  secants,  dip  and  refraction,  sines  and  cosines. 

"When,  in  1816,  George  Crowninshicld  coasted  the  Mediterranean 
in  the  Cleopatra's  Barge,  a  magnificent  yacht  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety-seven  tons,  which  excited  the  wonder  even  of  the  Genoese, 
the  black  cook,  who  had  once  sailed  with  Bowditch,  was  found  to 
be  as  competent  to  keep  a  ship's  reckoning  as  any  of  the  officers. 


8 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


ii 


'*  Rival  merchants  sometimes  drove  the  work  of  preparation  niglit 
and  day,  when  virgin  markets  had  favors  to  be  won,  and  ships  which 
set  out  for  unknown  ports  were  watched  when  they  slipped  their 
cables  and  sailed  away  by  night,  and  dogged  for  months  on  the  high 
seas,  in  the  hope  of  discovering  the  secret,  well  kept  by  owner  and 
crew.  Every  man  on  board  was  allowed  a  certain  space  for  his  own 
little  venture.  People  in  other  pursuits,  not  excepting  the  mer- 
chant's minister,  intrusted  their  savings  to  the  supercargo,  and 
watched  eagerly  the  result  of  their  adventure.  This  great  mental 
activity,  the  profuse  stores  of  knowledge  brought  by  every  ship's 
crew  and  distributed,  together  with  India  shawls,  blue  china,  and 
unheard-of  curiosities  from  every  savage  shore,  gave  the  community 
a  rare  alertness  of  intellect." 

Saleir  ships  led  the  way  round  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  to  the  Isle  of  France,  India,  and  China.  They 
were  the  first  to  display  the  American  flag  and  open 
trade  at  Ciilcutta,  Bombay,  Sumatra,  Zanzibar,  Mada- 
gascar, Australia,  Batavia,  Mocha,  and  St.  Petersburg. 
The  adventures  of  her  brave  mariners  in  unknown  seas, 
their  encounters  with  pirates  and  savage  tribes,  their  hair- 
breadth escapes,  their  tales  of  imprisonment  and  suffer- 
ing in  the  prisons  of  France,  Spain,  and  South  America, 
would  make  a  story  which  could  not  be  surpassed  in  ro- 
mantic and  pathetic  interest.  Tlie  adventures  described 
in  the  following  pages  may  serve  as  a  sample  in  proof 
of  the  cibove  assertion.  They  afford  an  illustration  of 
the  effect  of  such  experiences  in  giving  a  marked  char- 
acter to  a  community  of  which  the  hero  is  a  type. 

His  own  "  Narrative  of  Yoyages  and  Commercial  En- 
terprises" was  published  in  Boston  in  1842,  and  went 
through  three  editions  in  this  country,  and  was  repub- 
lished in  England.  It  was  reviewed  in  all  the  leading 
periodicals  of  both  countries  in  terms  of  the  highest 


i  ! 

:     i 


•'CLEVELAND'S  NARRATIVE." 


0 


commendation,  not  only  of  the  intrinsic  interest  of  the 
adventures  described,  bnt  of  the  beauty  of  the  style, 
■which  was  compared  with  that  of  Defoe.  It  has  long 
been  out  of  print,  however ;  and,  although  it  may  bo 
found  in  many  of  the  principal  libraries  of  the  country, 
and  no  one  can  read  it  without  acknowledging  its  a'>- 
sorbing  interest,  very  few  of  the  present  generation  of 
readers  are  aware  of  its  existence. 

It  is  obvious,  however,  that  a  narrative  partaking  so 
much  of  the  nature  of  an  autobiography  must  necessa- 
rily be  devoid  of  the  personal  details  which  are  often 
essential  features  in  such  a  story  when  told  by  another, 
while  the  fact  that,  at  the  time  of  its  publication,  many 
of  those  with  whom  the  author  had  been  associated 
were  still  living,  precluded  many  allusions  to  persons 
and  events  which  would  greatly  enhance  the  interest 
of  the  story.  These  obstacles  have  been  removed  by 
the  lapse  of  time.  None  of  his  contemporaries  are  left, 
and  those  who  knew  and  loved  him  in  his  old  age, 
when  they  themselves  were  young,  are  now  far  ad- 
vanced in  life.  No  one  is  now  living  who  will  be  af- 
fected by  the  mention  of  names  which  it  would  then 
have  been  indelicate  to  make  public,  and  no  injury  can 
now  accrue  from  laying  bare  the  secret  springs  of  ac- 
tions which  it  was  then  inexpedient  to  expose.  Above 
all,  the  personal  character  of  the  chief  actor  may  now, 
with  propriety,  be  made  the  object  of  central  interest, 
and  the  traits  which  win  the  affection  may  be  shown  to 
have  formed  quite  as  important  an  element  of  its  com- 
position as  those  which  excite  only  admiration. 

The  materials  for  such  illustration  are  in  my  posses- 
1* 


10 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


8ion  in  the  form  of  journals  and  letters,  which  often  re- 
veal such  a  personal  connection  with  the  incidents  of  tho 
narrative  as  adds  very  greatly  to  their  interest. 
.  Abundant  material  for  further  elucidation  of  the  sub- 
ject might  bo  drawn  from  tho  archives  of  the  Essex 
Institute,  and  the  wonderful  collection  of  interesting 
objects  in  the  museum  of  the  Salem  East  India  Marine 
Society  would  furnish  means  of  elaborate  illustration 
from  every  quarter,  and  especially  from  the  least-known 
regions,  of  the  globe. 

Having  given  this  account  of  my  father's  father,  it  is 
fitting  tliat  I  should  add  that  his  wife — my  grandmother 
— was  Margaret  Jeffry,  one  of  a  highly  respectable 
famil}'",  of  whom  no  representative  is  left  in  Salem, 
though  the  name  is  preserved  in  connection  with  a 
court  running  out  of  Washington  Street,  which  was 
part  of  the  garden  in  the  rear  of  the  family  residence, 
on  Essex  Street,  opposite  the  First  Church.  A  quaint, 
but  beautiful,  miniature  in  my  possession  justifies  the 
description  given  of  her  as  a  very  charming  and  attrac- 
tive woman  ;  and  her  death,  in  1784,  at  the  age  of  thirt}'- 
seven,  so  preyed  upon  her  husband  that  it  seemed  to  in- 
capacitate him  from  further  exertion.  My  father  alludes 
most  feelingly  to  this  event  in  a  letter  written  to  me 
late  in  life,  soon  after  the  publication  of  his  narrative. 
In  reply  to  some  remarks  of  mine  on  the  trials  and  dis- 
appointments therein  detailed,  he  says: 


m 


"These  were  as  dust  in  the  balance  compared  to  the  affliction  I 
was  early  called  upon  to  suffer.  I  allude  to  my  dear  mother's  death 
when  I  had  only  reached  my  tenth  year,  just  the  period  when  I  had 
sufficient  reflection  to  bo  sensible  of  our  loss;  Just  the  season  when 


EARLY  AFFLICTION. 


11 


the  sensibility  is  most  delicately  acute.  All  the  circumstances  con- 
nected with  tliis  gloomy  period  are  so  profoundly  engraven  on  my 
memory  as  never  to  be  obliterated.  I  suppose  it  was  known  to  her 
attendants  that  my  mother  could  not  recover,  but  I  was  unconscious 
of  it,  when,  on  an  evening,  between  daylight  and  dark,  as  my  brother 
William  and  I  were  playing  at  ball  in  the  yard,  my  aunt  Nancy  came 
to  the  door  and  said,  '  Come  in,  boys,  your  mother  is  dying.'  Words 
are  inadequate  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  anguish  I  suffered  on  this 
announcement.  Scarcely  had  the  excess  of  grief  a  little  subsided, 
when  it  was  renewed  by  the  dismal  business  of  the  funeral  obsequies. 
Dr.  Prince,  while  praying,  was  so  overcome  by  his  emotions  that  it 
was  with  difficulty  he  succeeded  in  finishing  the  prayer.  It  was 
customary  in  those  days  for  the  body  to  be  carried  on  the  sliouhkrs 
of  men,  and  six  or  eight  pall  holders  to  walk  on  each  side  the  coffin, 
the  mourners  being  arranged  in  the  procession  in  accordance  with 
the  degree  of  alliance  to  the  deceased.  Of  course,  my  poor  father, 
who  was  almost  distracted,  walked  first,  and  his  two  eldest  sons 
next.  Arrived  at  the  grave,  as  if  these  circumstanctis  v.'cre  not  al- 
ready sufficiently  harrowing,  it  was  necessary  to  wait  near  it  till  the 
coffin  was  deposited  and  some  gravel  thrown  upon  it.  At  the  mo- 
ment this  gravel  rattled  upon  the  coffin  my  father  uttered  a  groan 
which,  it  appears  to  me,  I  can  hear  even  now.  For  many  weeks  af- 
ter this  sad  scene  I  never  slept  till  I  had  wet  my  pillow  with  my  tears. 
For  many  months  after,  a  mark  on  my  handkerchief,  a  patch  on  ray 
clothes,  the  frill  of  my  shirt,  anything  of  the  handiwork  of  my  dear 
mother,  would  awaken  the  sense  of  my  loss;  and  for  years  after- 
wards I  never  heard  the  bell  of  the  First  Church  toll  without  its 
bringing  the  sad  scene  before  me.  During  many  weeks  after  the 
funeral  my  father  shut  himself  up,  and  would  see  nobody  except  his 
children;  and  this,  as  was  natural,  had  a  tendency  to  increase  my 
grief." 


The  despondency  which  resulted  from  the  death  of 
his  wife  was  so  great  that  my  grandfather  never  recov- 
ered from  its  ejects.  His  property,  as  a  consequence, 
became  so  reduced  that  the  necessity  of  providing  for 
him  was  a  chief  incentive  to  my  father's  early  efforts  to 


\i\\ 


12 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NA\IOATOR. 


scciiro  an  independence.  Tlio  urgent  tones  In  which — 
as  will  be  seen — ho  entreats  his  father,  in  his  letters,  to 
make  use  of  his  means  or  credit  without  reserve  or  hesi- 
tation, afford  sufficient  evidence  of  his  filial  affection 
and  his  generous  nature. 

Note.— The  preceding  chapter  was  written  some  years  since,  and, 
of  course,  before  the  name  of  Grover  Cleveland  had  been  suggested 
for  the  high  office  to  which  he  has  since  been  elected.  As  the  ele- 
ments of  sterling  integrity  and  unflinching  courage  which  have 
marked  his  administration  were  no  less  conspicuous  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  hero  of  the  following  story,  the  fact  will  possess  inter- 
est, especially  to  those  who  have  faith  in  the  law  of  heredity,  that 
the  great-grandfather  of  the  President,  the  Rev,  Aaron  Cleveland 
of  Norwich,  Conn.,  was  the  brother  of  my  grandfather,  Stephen 
Cleveland,  of  whom  I  have  given  the  above  account. 

Chicago,  Dec,  1885. 


^mmm. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Early  Years.— Cultivation  of  Commercial  Tastes.— First  Voyage- 
Voyage  with  Captain  Silsbee.— Letters  to  his  Father.— Voyage 
from  Havre  to  Cape  of  Good  Hope —Interest  Excited  by  his  Ar- 
rival. 

My  father,  Richard  Jcffry  Cleveland,  the  eldest  child 
of  Stephen  and  Margaret  Jeffry  Cleveland,  was  born  in 
Salem,  Dec.  19,  1773.  He  had  three  brothers  younger 
than  liiniself,  two  of  whom — William  and  George— 
were  for  many  years  merchant  navigators  in  the  East 
India  trade  from  that  port.  They  afterwards  held,  in 
succession,  the  office  of  president  of  the  Commercial 
Insurance  Companj-^,  and  George  was  also  president  of 
the  East  India  Marine  Society,  a  charitable  association 
composed  of  navigators  engaged  in  that  trade.  It  is 
simply  a  just  tribute  to  their  memory  to  say  that  no 
men  ever  stood  higher  in  the  estimation  of  their  fellow- 
citizens,  or  were  regarded  with  warmer  feelings  of  af- 
fection by  those  who  knew  them  best,  than  these  two 
brothers.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  my  father  entered  the 
counting-house  of  Elias  Ilasket  Derby,  where  ho  re- 
mained four  years,  and  acquired  not  only  the  merely 
technical  elements  of  mercantile  education,  but  an  accu- 
rate knowledge  and  love  of  naval  affairs,  and  a  taste  for 
commercial  adventure.  This  last  was  wisely  fostered 
by  Mr.  Derby,  who  allowed  liis  employees  to  become  in- 


14 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCU^NT  NAVIGATOR. 


terested  in  tlio  voyages  of  his  ships  by  sending  small 
adventures  on  their  own  account.  Even  the  seamen 
were  each  allowed  a  privilege  of  eight  hundred  pounds 
frei[i;hc,  and  the  officers  a  proportionally  larger  amount. 
The  building  and  despatching  of  ships  to  different  quar- 
ters of  the  globe  was  so  constantly  in  progress  that  it 
afforded  the  best  possible  opportunity  for  studying  and 
comparing  their  relative  qualities,  while  the  interest  in 
their  performance  and  in  the  results  of  their  voyages 
was  sustained  by  daily  conversation  and  discussion,  in 
which  every  participant  had  a  personal  stake.  Indeed, 
his  love  for  the  sea  may  be  traced  to  a  yet  earlier  stage, 
as  he  has  told  me  that  his  favorite  sport  when  a  boy  was 
sailing  about  Salem  harbor  in  a  lej.y  boat,  which  he 
liired  at  sixpence  a  week. 

When  only  eighteen  he  M>^nt  on  his  first  voyage,  im- 
pelled thereto  by  the  wish  i^J  piovide  for  his  father,  and 
the  earliest  of  his  letters  in  my  possession,  written  to 
liis  father  from  the  Capo  of  Good  Hope,  April  20, 
1792,  contains  these  words,  which  every  father  will  ap- 
preciate: 

.  "  I  long  to  hear  how  your  lawsuit  is  settled,  the  event  of  which 
causes  me  much  anxiety;  but,  if  you  should  lose  it,  it  must  be  a  con- 
solation to  you  that  your  children  are  ambitious  bpys,  who,  with 
such  an  education  as  is  to  be  had  in  tlie  public  schools  of  Salem,  can 
soon  provide  for  themselves  and  their  father  also ;  and  I  am  sure  you 
cannot  doubt  the  pleasure  it  would  give  us;  but  God  forbid  you 
should  ever  be  in  such  circumstances  as  to  want  it." 

His  earliest  voyages  were  made  in  the  capacity  of 
captain's  clerk,  under  the  command  of  Nathaniel  Silsbee, 
who  had  been  his  fellow-clerk  in. Mr.  Derby's  counting- 
room,  and  was  subsequently,  for  many  years,  senator 


i 


FIRST  VOYAGES. 


16 


small 
seamen 
pounds 
mount, 
it  quar- 
that  it 
ng  and 
jrest  in 
oyagcs 
5ion,  in 
'ndeed, 
•  stage, 
oy  was 
lich  he 


ler,  and 
tten  to 
ml  20, 
vill  ap- 


m 


from  Massachusetts.  Ho  was  but  liKtlc  older  than  my 
father,  and  their  friendship  was  of  lifelong  duration. 
Of  one  of  these  voyages,  of  nineteen  moiitlis'  duration, 
to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  the  Isles  of  France  and 
Bourbon,  at  a  time  when  the  wars  of  the  great  powers 
of  Europe  rendered  navigation  precarious,  and  often  de- 
manded the  skill  of  the  diplomatist  as  well  as  that  of  the 
mariner,  he  says,  at  its  conclusion, 

"The  voyage,  thus  happily  accomplished,  may  be  regarded,  when 
taken  in  all  its  bearings,  as  a  very  remarkable  one ;  first,  from  the 
extreme  youth  of  all  to  whom  its  management  had  been  intrusted — 
Captain  Silsbec  was  not  twenty  years  old;  the  chief  male,  Charles 
Derby,  was  but  nineteen;  and  the  second  mate,  who  was  discharged 
at  the  Isle  of  Franco,  and  whose  place  I  subsequent!}''  filled,  was  but 
twenty-four.  Secondly,  from  the  foresight,  ingenuity,  and  adroit- 
ness manifested  in  averting  and  escaping  dangers;  in  perceiving  ad- 
vantages, and  turning  them  to  the  best  account;  and,  thirdly,  from 
the  great,  success  attending  this  judicious  management,  as  demon- 
strated by  the  fact  of  returning  to  the  owner  four  or  five  times  the 
amount  of  the  original  capital.  Mr.  Derby  used  to  call  us  his  boys, 
and  boast  of  our  achievements ;  and  well  might  he  do  so,  for  it  is  not 
probable  that  the  annals  of  the  world  can  furnish  another  example 
of  an  enter]ji  ise  of  such  magnitude,  requiring  the  exercise  of  so 
much  judgment  and  skill,  being  conducted  by  so  young  a  man,  aided 
only  by  still  younger  advisers,  and  accomplished  with  the  most  en- 
tire success." 

His  letters  to  his  father,  in  all  his  early  voyages,  give 
ev'denee  of  such  self-confident  ambition  as  is  essential 
1^0  success,  and  show,  at  the  same  time,  that  he  was  actu- 
ated only  by  generous  motives.  The  following  passages, 
taken  from  different  letters,  between  the  years  1795  and 
1797,  are  of  this  character : 

"  If  I  go  only  short  voyages,  you  may  depend  upon  as  large  a  re- 
mittance as  I  can  possibly  make,  at  least  once  a  year,  and  I  hope  I 


10 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


shall  soon  have  it  in  my  power  to  supply  you  bountifully,  wliicli  is 
my  only  ambition. " 

"I  enclose  bills  of  exchange  for  £180  sterling  ($900),  and  I  hope 
you  will  not  hesitate  to  take  up  money  on  my  account,  for  be  as- 
sured, while  I  possess  one  dollar,  three  fourths  cf  it  shall  be  at  your 
service." 


H 


In  1797,  having  made  one  previous  voyage  in  com- 
, ;  inand  of  the  bark  Enterprise^  belonging  to  E.  II. 
r  '  Derby,  Jr.,  lie  sailed  again  in  the  same  vessel  for  Eu- 
rope, whence,  after  disposing  of  his  cargo,  he  was  to 
go  to  Mocha  for  a  cargo  of  coffee ;  and  was  anticipat- 
ing, with  sf'tiif action,  the  prospect  of  being  the  first  to 
display  the  American  flag  in  that  port,  lie  was  pro- 
portionately disappointed  when,  Foon  after  his  arrival 
at  Havre,  he  received  notice  that  circumstances  ren- 
dered it  necessary  to  abandon  the  voyage,  and  /eturn 
the  property  to  the  owner,  with  as  little  delay  as  pos- 
sible. Knowing  that  '  is  return  home  would  involve 
the  loss  of  a  good  deal  of  time  before  he  could  hope  to 
be  again  employed — owing  to  the  general  stagnation  of 
busmess — he  sent  the  ship  home  under  the  charge  of 
the  mate,  and  began,  at  Havre,  the  first  of  the  daring 
enterprises  which  he  subsequently  followed  np  with 
such  marked  success. 

The  danger  they  involved  was  not  encountered  as  an 
act  of  bravado.  They  1  id  always  an  object  which  ho 
deemed  worthy  of  the  risk,  and  that  object  was  success- 
fully accomplished. 

The  following  letter  contains  the  first  intimation  of 
his  intention.  At  the  time  it  was  written  he  was  three 
months  hort  of  twenty-four  years  of  age : 


LETTER  TO  HIS  FATHER. 


17 


"Hat RE,  September  19,  1797. 

"When  I  was  upon  the  point  of  embarking  for  home,  and,  in 
imagination,  was  shaking  hands  with  my  friends,  an  unexpected 
offer,  upon  advantageous  terms,  of  such  a  vessel  'iS  I  have  been 
looking  out  for,  determined  me  to  alter  my  course,  and  add  a  few 
months  to  the  many  I  have  already  been  absent,  concluding  that  if 
I  came  home  from  hence  I  must  unavoidably  (in  the  present  state 
of  affairs)  remain  at  least  six  or  eight  months  unemployed,  which,  in 
addition  to  the  time  I  have  already  lost,  would  be  very  unpleasant. 

"I,  therefore,  determined  to  accept  this  offer,  choosing  to  risk  all 
in  endeavoring  to  do  something  rather  than  spending  moderately 
and  living  lazily  at  home.  To  explain  myself  then:  I  have  pur- 
chased a  cutter-sloop,  of  fortythree  tons'  burden,  on  a  credit  of  two 
years.  This  vessel  was  built  at  Dieppe,  and  fitted  out  for  a  priva- 
teer; was  taken  by  the  English,  and  has  been  plying  between  Dover 
and  Calais  as  a  packet-boat.  She  has  elegant  accommodations,  and 
sails  fast.  I  shall  copper  her,  put  her  in  ballast,  trim  with  £1000 
or  £1500  sterling,  in  cargo,  and  proceed  to  the  Isle  of  France  and 
Bourbon,  where  I  expect  to  sell  her,  as  well  as  the  cargo,  at  a  very 
handsome  profit,  and  have  no  doubt  of  being  well  paid  for  my 
twelve  months'  work,  calculating  to  be  with  you  next  August. 

"I  have  written  to  Uncle  James  respecting  my  account  with  Mr. 
Derbjr;  have  drawn  bills  in  his  favor  for  the  balance,  and  advised 
him  how  I  wish  it  disposed  of.  Should  you  be  in  want  of  cash 
before  my  return,  do  not  hesitate  to  make  use  of  my  credit,  so  far 
as  it  will  go.  I  will  pay  principal  and  any  (the  most  exorbitant) 
interest  on  any  money  you  find  it  necessary  to  take  up  ;  and, 
although  I  know  there  is  no  risk  in  the  bills  I  forwarded  you  on 
Mr.  Haven  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H,,  for  $900,  except  their  having 
miscarried,  yet  I  should  feel  easier  if  I  knew  you  had  the  money. 

"  Since  I  wrote  you  last  I  have  spent  a  month  in  Paris,  and  am 
very  much  pleased  with  that  great  capital.  I  prefer  it  to  London, 
notwithstanding  I  have  some  of  that  foolish  American  partiality  for 
everything.tliat  is  English. 

"I  left  it  ten  days  before  this  last  surprising  revolution,  or,  rather, 
tyrannical  usurpation  of  the  Jacobinical  party. 

"I  fear  it  will  be  many  years  before  this  country  will  enjoy  such 
internal  tranquillity  as  America  is  blessed  with." 


Hi 


1'^ 
1     t 


i  r  I 


I   !  if 


m 


nr 


r  r  *»? 


18 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


\m 


It  will  be  seen  that  he  designates  his  vessel  in  this 
letter  as  a  "  cutter-sloop  of  forty-three  tons."  As  the 
English  cutter  of  that  date  is  a  rig  that  is  unknown 
with  us,  it  is  proper  to  state  that  its  peculiarity  con- 
sisted of  a  horizontal  bowsprit,  made  to  reef  by  sliding 
in  on  the  deck.  It  was  in  a  similar  vessel  that  he 
subsequently  made  the  voyage  from  Canton  to  the 
northwest  coast  of  America. 

I  continue  the  extracts  from  his  letters,  which  give 
the  main  incidents  of  his  experiences,  and  serve  also  to 
give  a  vivid  conception  of  his  personal  character : 

"Havre,  Octoft^r 35,  1797. 

"To-morrow  I  shall  leave  this  for  the  Isle  of  France  in  my  cutter, 
which,  I  assure  you,  is  very  handsome,  and,  I  don't  doubt,  will  sell 
for  a  good  price. 

"Before  I  sell  her  I  shall  spend  probably  four  or  five  months 
freighting  about  the  Isle  of  Bourbon,  waiting  a  favorable  opportu- 
nity to  wind  up  the  voyage. 

"It  would  have  given  me  pleasure  to  have  returned  home  and 
helped  Bill  or  George  to  a  berth  on  board  a  ship,  but  I  must  first 
have  charge  of  said  ship,  which,  at  the  present  moment,  I  suspect 
is  a  charge  difficult  to  obtain  in  America.  It  would  certainly  be 
very  imprudent  in  any  merchant  at  this  time  to  send  a  ship  on  a 
long  voyage,  and  I  have  no  idea  there  will  be  any  business  of  con- 
sequence done  in  America  for  five  or  six  months  to  come;  c  ""se- 
quently  I  am  induced  to  believe  that  you,  as  well  as  Mr.  Derby, 
will  approve  of  this  undertaking.  1  have  certainly  a  prospect  of 
doing  something  handsome,  and  to  have  rejected  such  a  liberal 
credit  as  was  offered  me  would  have  been  madness. 


"By  the  above  opportunity  I  wrote  to  Uncle  James,  enclosing 

bills  on  Mr.  Derby  for  the  balance  of  my  account  ...  of  which 

I  desired  him  to  pay  you  $200.     This  small  supply,  in  addition  to 

the  bill  I  sent  you  from  London  for  $900,  will  doubtless  keep  you 

Li  cash  for  some  months;  and  when  out,  if  my  credit  is  good  for 


LETTER  TO  HIS  FATHER. 


19 


anytbing  at  home,  I  sball  be  mortified  if  you  don't  make  use  of  it; 
and,  if  necessary,  this  letter  may  be  given  as  my  promissory  note  to 
pay  any  debts  you  may  contract  on  my  account.  I  can  have  no 
greater  pleasure  than  in  discharging  them. 

"  Of  the  insurance  on  this  voyage,  if  £300  or  £400  can  be  covered 
at  ten,  or  even  twelve,  per  cent,,  I  have  no  objection  to  having  it 
done,  but  have  no  idea  of  giving  a  higher  premium,  and  choose 
rather  to  take  the  risk  myself.  It  should  be  made  on  the  vessel — 
the  sloop  Caroline  of  Salem — a  French  bottom,  but  with  papers  in 
complete  order,  and  manned  with  Americans.  We  arc  bound 
direct  for  the  Isles  of  France  and  Bourbon.  Before  j'ou  make 
this  insurance  Captain  Rich  will  inform  you  of  many  particulars 
respecting  the  vessel  which  may  have  a  tendency  to  lessen  the 
premium,  and  which  it  is  very  necessary  the  underwriters  should 
know. 

"  Since  I  have  undertaken  this  business  one  of  the  first  houses  in 
this  place  has  offered  to  fit  out  a  ship  purposely  for  me,  and  put 
in  a  rich  cargo,  but  I  had  gone  so  far  in  the  present  speculation  that 
it  was  too  late.  This  may  perhaps  convince  you  that  my  time  here 
has  not  boen  entirely  misspent.  On  the  contrary,  I  think  I  have 
formed  such  acquaintances  here  as  may  be  of  great  service  to  me 
should  I  fail  of  finding  employment  in  America,  which,  by-the-bye, 
I  only  expect  will  be  the  case  while  the  state  of  political  affairs  is 
such  as  to  make  it  dangerous  to  do  anything  on  a  large  scale. 
Such,  I  think,  is  the  case  at  present,  or  I  should  have  returned  home 
from  hence  in  expectation  of  being  again  employed  by  E.  H.  Derby, 
Jr.,  than  which  nothing  could  have  been  more  gratifying  to  me; 
and,  positively,  while  he  will  give  me  two  thirds  as  much  as  any 
other  merchant,  I  will  sail  for  no  other. 

"  When  I  shall  meet  my  friends  in  Salem  again  is  very  uncertain. 
The  prospect  at  present  is  very  distant;  but  I  hope  it  will  not  be 
more  than  twelve  or  fourteen  months.  'Tis  a  long  time  to  look 
forward,  and  I  know  you  wish  it  were  passed  as  well  as  myself. 

"I  can't  help  loving  home,  though  I  think  a  young  man  ought  to 
be  at  home  in  any  part  of  the  globe;  but  few  persons  have  so  many 
valuable  friends  to  regret  being  absent  from  as  I  have." 

' '  P.  S. — By  a  letter  from  Paris,  received  this  day  by  Mr,  Prince, 
it  appears  that  the  American  Commissioners  have  delivered  their 


|! 


I  c  > 


n      1    I 


m 


I  iS;.  'S 


20 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


l!l 


credentials  twelve  days  ago,  but  have  not  yet  received  any  answer 
from  the  Directory,  which  is  considered  a  bad  omen. 

"Should  a  war  take  place  between  France  and  America  while  I 
am  at  the  Mauritius,  to  secure  my  property  I  must  become  an 
inhabitant,  which  I  have  no  objection  to  for  a  little  while,  provided 
I  can  improve  my  time  advantageously.  I  shall  have  no  other 
anxiety  than  that  of  not  knowing  whether  you  have  a  necessary 
supply  of  cash. 

"October  28th.— A  head  wind  has  detained  me  till  to-day.  Wo 
have  official  accounts  of  the  definitive  treaty  with  the  emperor  being 
signed.  The  defeat  of  the  Dutch  fleet  you  will  undoubtedly  have 
heard  of  before  this  reaches  you." 

The  allusion  in  this  letter  to  the  "  particulars  respect- 
ing the  vessel  which  may  have  a  tendency  to  lessen  the 
premium,"  and  wliicli  were  to  be  communicated  by  Cap- 
tain Kich,  demands  explanation. 

The  fact  was  that  he  carried  despatches  from  the  Di- 
rectory to  the  ruling  powers  at  tlie  Isle  of  France,  and 
was  provided  with  a  passport  which  secured  him  from 
molestation  by  French  ships  of  war  or  privateers. 

He  records  the  fact  in  his  narrative  that  this  passport 
proved  an  eflScient  safeguard  on  one  occasion  when  ho 
was  brought  to,  after  a  long  chase,  by  a  French  priva- 
teer, by  which  he  was  hailed  in  insulting  terms;  but  a 
sight  of  the  documents  he  bore  caused  a  very  sudden 
change  of  tone,  and  an  immediate  abandonment  of  any 
attempt  at  detention. 

The  next  letter  gives  an  account  of  his  first  experi- 
ence on  the  voyage : 

"Havre,  November  2^,  1797. 

"My  last  was  by  the  Nymph  of  New  York,  whose  suddeu  de- 
parture left  me  only  time  to  tell  you  I  had  been  shipwrecked,  and 
as  I  am  confident  you  will  wish  to  hear  the  particulars,  I  will  now 
relate  them  to  j'ou. 


\Mi 


SHIPWRECK. 


21 


"I  left  liere  on  Tuesday  at  eleven  o'clock,  -with  a  very  strong 
N.E.  wind,  so  fresh  that  when  abreast  the  lighthouse  I  was  obliged 
to  balance-reef  the  mainsail  and  set  the  smallest  jib,  which,  with  the 
foresail,  was  as  much  as  she  would  bear.  I  found  it  necessary  to 
carry  as  much  sail  as  possible,  as  otherwise  we  could  not  double 
Cape  Barfleur,  as  the  wind  had  already  come  round  as  far  as  N.N.E., 
and,  increasing,  caused  such  a  sea  as  (our  little  vessel  being  deep 
loaded)  kept  her  most  of  the  time  under  water.  At  eight  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  the  wind  and  sea  still  increasing,  the  bowsprit  went  by 
the  board,  and  before  we  could  clear  the  wreck  of  that,  the  foresail 
split  half-way  up  and  down  the  back  rope. 

*'My  object  then  was  to  regain  Havre,  but  my  sailors,  not  being 
used  to  the  motion  of  so  small  a  vessel,  were  all  (as  well  as  myself) 
seasick,  which,  together  with  the  fatigue  we  had  undergone,  ren- 
dered us  imable  to  use  such  exertions  as  we  could  have  done  if  we 
had  been  more  used  to  the  vessel.  However,  we  made  out  to  get  her 
head  towards  Havre,  and,  in  the  morning,  I  found  we  were  much 
to  leeward  of  it. 

"Without  anything  for  a  spare  bowsprit,  I  knew  from  the  leeway 
we  had  already  made  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  keep  off  shore 
another  night,  I  had  tbdn  no  other  alternative  but  to  try  to  enter 
the  river  Caen,  but,  whan  we  reached  the  entrance,  we  found  the 
tide  was  so  far  out  that  there  was  not  water  enough,  and  the  sea 
broke  at  least  a  mile  from  shoro.  1  then  let  go  both  anchors  in 
about  ten  fathoms  cf  waier,  in  the  hope  that  they  might  hold  her 
till  high  water,  but  the  cables  soon  parted,  and,  of  course,  we  ran 
ashore  near  the  village  of  Oestrahan.  The  alarm-gun  had  been  fired 
at  the  fort,  and  the  country  people  came  quickly  to  our  assistance. 
We  all  left  the  vessel,  in  expectation  that  she  would  soon  go  to 
pieces,  and  were  conducted  to  the  fort,  where  a  large,  comfortable 
fire  was  made,  by  which  to  shift  and  dry  ourselves.  This  was 
Wednesday,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  was  the  first 
time  any  of  us  had  had  a  dry  thread  on  since  twelve  o'clock  of  the 
preceding  day.  I  put  up  at  an  inn  about  a  mile  from  where  my 
vessel  lay ;  but  my  limbs  were  so  swollen  and  painful,  and  my  mind 
so  tormented  with  the  thought  of  having  lost  so  much  more  than 
my  all,  that,  as  you  may  suppose,  I  did  not  pass  a  very  comfortable 
night.    In  the  morning  I  was  agreeably  surprised  to  find,  not  only 


M 


^'H 


i  i  > 


1 1  \ 


\\\. 


*     I ' 


': 

t 

I 

1 

1, 

22 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


that  my  vessel  had  not  gone  to  pieces,  but  that  she  was  so  little 
injured  that  by  unlading  she  might  be  got  off,  and  put  in  proper 
condition  to  go  to  Havre;  which  was  soon  accomplished,  leaving 
part  of  the  cargo  with  my  mate  to  be  freighted  over. 

"We  are  now  repaired  and  ready  for  sea,  with  a  loss  to  me  of 
about  $500.  The  principal  loss  on  the  cargo  is  occasioned  by  the 
several  transportations.  My  credit,  however,  has  not  suffered  in 
the  least  on  this  account,  for  I  have  not  only  found  enough  to  re- 
pair the  damages,  but  shall  put  in  $1000  more,  so  that  my  cargo  (al- 
though in  a  vessel  of  only  forty  tons)  will  amount  to  $7000.  I  now 
only  wait  for  a  wind  to  put  to  sea  again. 

"You  may  judge  from  these  particulars  whether  I  am  to  blame 
or  not,  and  you  will  undoubtedly  say  I  am,  for  not  returning  to 
Havre  the  afternoon  of  the  day  I  left  there,  but  my  foolish  pride 
would  not  suffer  it. 

"  I  must  tell  you  that  I  never  met  such  real  friendship  as  I  have 
from  your  old  friend  James  Prince,  who  not  only  took  me  to  his 
house,  and  begged  me  not  to  be  discouraged,  but  immediately  came 
forward  with  the  ready  cash  to  any  amount  I  asked  for.  I  believe 
him  to  be  an  exception  to  the  general  rule  that  we  do  good  from 
selfish  motives. 

"In  my  last  I  requested  that  £700  or  £800  might  be  insured  on 
my  vessel  if  it  could  be  done  at  twelve  per  cent,  I  now  repeat  it, 
but  would  not  advise  giving  a  higher  premium.  After  my  arrival 
at  the  Isle  o^  France  or  Bourbon  it  is  very  uncertain  which  way  I 
shall  bend  my  course.  If  I  meet  with  a  ready  sale  for  my  sloop  and 
cargo,  and  can  find  a  freight  to  Europe  or  America  for  a  ship  of 
three  or  four  hundred  tons,  and  can  readily  purchase  such  a  vessel, 
I  shall  do  it;  but  if  this  cannot  be  done,  I  shall  either  employ  my 
vessel  in  freighting,  or  make  a  trip  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  with 
a  load  of  coffee,  sell  for  dollars,  and  go  to  Mocha  for  another  load  for 
the  Cape,  and  thence  to  the  Mauritius,  by  which  time  I  shall  proba- 
bly have  collected  such  a  property  as  will  enable  me  to  undertake 
something  on  a  large  scale. 

"  The  performance  of  these  operations  (if  successful)  will  take  up 
so  much  time  that,  long  before  I  can  arrive  in  America,  the  supplies 
of  money  I  have  sent  you  must  be  exhausted,  and  unless  I  meet  with 
a  very  favorable  opportunity  to  make  a  remittance  (which,  if  I  go  to 


RENEWAL  OF  THE  VOYAGE. 


23 


Mocha,  is  not  probable)  you  will  not  count  upon  it,  nor  do  I  think 
it  will  be  necessary,  as  you  can  easily  get  what  funds  you  need  with 
such  security  as  a  policy  of  insurance  of  £700  or  £800;  and  here  let 
me  repeat  what  I  have  so  often  said,  that  I  can  receive  no  higher 
gratification  than  in  supplying  you,  nor,  on  the  contrary,  is  there 
anything  that  would  mortify  me  more  than  that  you  should  hesitate 
at  making  such  use  of  my  credit. 

"  Of  politics  you  know  I  never  say  much,  but  I  cannot  help  ob- 
serving that  everything  between  France  and  America  wears  a  very 
serious  aspect.    They  treat  the  Americans  with  marked  contempt 
and  I  much  fear  the  issue." 

The  confident  tone  in  which  Jie  speaks  in  this  letter 
of  his  future  operations  shows  how  little  he  had  been 
affected  by  the  misfortune  which  befell  him  at  the  out- 
set. But  it  will  be  seen  by  the  next  extract  that  the 
people  on  whom  he  had  to  depend  for  making  up  his 
crew,  in  Havre,  entertained  a  very  different  opinion  of 
the  probable  result  of  the  voyage. 

His  characteristic  self-reliance  is  manifested  by  his 
indifference  to  the  fears  expressed  by  those  who  were 
less  at  home  on  the  ocean,  as  well  as  by  his  putting  to 
sea  with  the  incompetent  crew  of  which  he  gives  so  lu- 
dicrous a  description. 

The  London  Literary  Examiner  of  September  24, 
1842,  in  an  extended  review  of  his  "Narrative,"  says, 
of  the  description  he  there  gives  of  this  voyage : 

"Few  things  in  De  Foe,  Dana,  or  any  other  truthteller  are  more 
characteristic  than  Mr.  Cleveland's  account  of  his  voyage  from  Havre 
to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Surely  never  before  was  there  such  an 
Indiaman,  with  such  a  cargo  and  such  a  crew." 

And  the  review  concludes  as  follows : 

"We  have  dwelt  on  the  circumstances  of  his  first  start  because  it 
at  once  illustrates  the  courage  and  daring  of  the  narrator. 


:r[| 


ti-itx 


24 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


i! -I 


"His  capital  talent  for  description— quiet,  forcible,  and  unexag- 
gerated —  ,vould  be  more  quickly  recognized  if  our  space  admitted  of 
the  quotations  wc  would  gladly  have  given  from  the  detailed  inci- 
dents of  the  voyage." 

Reading  between  the  lines  of  the  following  letter,  we 
may  discover  a  further  evidence  of  character,  which  was 
not  perceptible  to  the  above  writer,  and  was  not  revealed 
in  the  published  account  of  the  voyage. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  letter  is  written  as  he  was 
nearing  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  yet  he  makes  no  allu- 
sion to  the  peril  he  incurred  by  stopping  there,  and  the 
wisdom  of  such  caution  was  made  manifest  on  his  arri- 
val, by  the  very  strict  search  and  examination  of  his 
papers,  to  which  he  was  immediately  subjected. 

His  stopping  there  was  a  matter  of  necessity,  as  the 
rats  had  gnawed  his  water- casks  and  ho  was  forced  to 
lay  in  a  new  supply.  Before  his  arrival  he  had  care- 
fully concealed  the  despatches  he  bore,  and  no  evidence 
was  discovered  that  any  cause  existed  for  his  deten- 
tion. 

Yet  the  authorities  at  the  Cape  were  so  well  convinced 
that  such  a  voyage  would  not  have  been  attempted  ex- 
cept on  some  secret  service  of  the  French  government, 
that  they  deemed  it  necessary  to  prevent  its  consumma- 
tion, and  as  no  legitimate  charge  for  condemnation  could 
be  found,  they  bought  his  vessel  of  him  at  a  liberal  ad- 
vance on  her  cost,  and  she  was  immediately  put  in  ser- 
vice under  command  of  a  lieutenant  of  the  royal  navy. 
He  probably  was  unused  to  the  management  of  so  small 
a  craft,  for  he  was  never  heard  of  after  his  departure 
on  his  first  voyage. 


11 


^('.5 


ii 


LESCRirTION  OF  CREW. 


25 


These  facts  will  serve  to  throw  much  light  on  the  fol- 
lowing letter,  begun  at  sea  and  finished  after  his  arrival 
at  the  Cape : 

"On  Board  Cutteii  'Caroline':  At  Sea,  March  20, 1798. 

"As  we  arc  now  within  a  few  hundred  miles  of  the  Cape,  Avhcro 
we  must  touch  for  water,  I  take  time  by  the  forelock  to  have  a  let- 
ter ready  to  send  you  on  arrival,  well  knowing  that  I  shall  after  that 
have  no  time  for  writing. 

"  Should  you  happen  to  see  any  person  from  Havre,  who  was 
candid  enough  to  give  you  the  general  opinion  entertained  there  of 
the  ability  of  my  cutter  to  weather  this  passage,  you  will  no  doubt 
be  somewhat  anxious  till  you  hear  from  me.  They  concluded  that 
we  should  founder  in  the  first  gale,  from  my  vessel's  being  over- 
loaded, and  as  these  apprehensions  were  communicated  to  my  men 
they  would  run  away  or  feign  sickness,  and  these  aggravations,  after 
the  disaster  I  had  already  met  with,  required  every  iota  of  my  small 
stock  of  philosophy  to  support,  and  it  was  not  till  the  last  hour  that 
I  was  in  Havre  (even  while  the  visiting  officers  were  on  board)  that 
I  finally  shipped  my  crew. 

"  Fortuniitcly,  they  were  all  so  much  in  debt  as  not  to  want  any 
time  to  spend  their  advance,  but  were  ready  at  the  instant;  and  with 
this  motley  crew  (who,  for  aught  I  knew,  were  robbers  or  pirates)  I 
put  to  sea.  That  you  may  form  some  idea  of  the  fatigue  and  trouble 
I  have  had  I  will  attempt  to  describe  them  to  you. 

"At  the  head  of  the  list  is  my  mate,  a  Nantucket  lad,  whom  I  per- 
suaded the  captain  of  a  ship  to  discharge  from  before  the  mast,  and 
who  knew  little  or  nothing  of  navigation,  but  is  now  capable  of  con- 
ducting the  vessel  in  case  of  accident  to  me.  The  first  of  my  fore- 
mast hands  is  a  great,  surly,  crabbed,  raw-boned,  ignorant  Prussian, 
who  is  so  timid  aloft  that  the  mate  has  frequently  been  obliged  to 
do  his  duty  there. 

"I  believe  him  to  be  more  of  a  soldier  than  a  sailor,  though  he 
has  often  assured  me  that  he  has  been  boatswain's  mate  of  a  Dutch 
Indiaman,  which  I  do  not  believe,  as  he  hardly  knows  how  to  put 
two  ends  of  a  rope  together.  He  speaks  enough  English  to  be  toler- 
ably understood. 

"The  next  in  point  of  consequence  is  my  cook,  a  good  uatured 


r 


20 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCUANT  NAVIGATOR. 


ill 


negro  and  a  tolerable  cook,  so  unused  to  a  vessel  that  in  the  smooth- 
est weather  he  cannot  walk  fore  and  aft  without  Ijolding  on  to  some- 
thing with  both  hands.  This  fear  proceeds  from  tlie  fact  that  he  is 
so  tall  and  slim  that  if  he  should  get  a  cant  it  might  be  fatal  to  him. 
I  did  not  think  America  could  furnish  such  a  specimen  of  the  negro 
race  (ho  is  a  native  of  Savannah),  nor  did  I  ever  sec  sucli  a  perfect 
simpleton.  It  is  impossible  to  teach  him  anything,  and  notwith- 
standing the  frequency  with  which  we  have  been  obliged  to  take  in 
and  make  sail  on  this  long  voyage,  he  can  hardly  tell  the  main-hal- 
iards  from  the  mainstay.  lie  one  day  took  it  into  his  head  to  learn 
the  compass,  and  not  being  permitted  to  come  on  the  quarter-deck 
to  learn  by  the  one  in  the  binnacle,  he  took  off  the  cover  of  the  till 
of  his  chest,  and  with  his  knife  cut  out  something  that  looked  like  a 
cartWi,  cl,  and  wanted  me  to  let  him  nail  it  on  the  deck  to  steer  by, 
insisting  that  he  could  '  tcer  by  him  better  'n  tudder  one.' 

"Next  is  an  English  boy  of  seventeen  years  old, who,  from  having 
lately  had  the  small-pox,  is  feeble  and  almost  blind,  a  miserable  ob- 
ject, but  pity  for  his  misfortunes  induces  me  to  make  his  duty  as 
easy  as  possible.  Finally,  I  have  a  little  ugly  French  boy,  the  very 
image  of  a  baboon,  who,  from  having  served  for  some  time  on  differ- 
ent privateers,  ha?  all  the  tricks  of  a  veteran  man-of-war's  man, 
though  only  thirteen  years  old,  and  by  having  been  in  an  English 
prison  has  learned  enough  of  the  lar^juage  to  bo  a  proficient  in 
swearing.  To  hear  all  these  fellova  quarrelling  (which,  from  not 
understanding  each  other,  they  are  very  apt  to  do)  serves  to  give  one 
a  realizing  conception  of  the  confusion  of  tongues  at  the  Tower  of 
Babel.  Nobody  need  envy  me  my  four  months'  experience  with 
such  a  set,  though  they  are  now  far  better  than  when  I  first  took 
them. 

"Absence  has  not  banished  home  from  my  thoughts;  indeed,  I 
should  be  worse  than  a  savage  were  I  to  forget  such  friends  as  I 
have,  yet  such  is  now  my  roving  disposition  that  were  it  not  for 
meeting  them,  I  doubt  if  I  should  ever  return.  My  last  news  of 
you  was  by  a  scrap  of  paper  tucked  into  one  of  Mr.  Derby's  letters 
by  Uncle  James,  bearing  simply  the  words, '  Your  friends  are  all  well. 
J.  J.'  Did  he  know  but  half  the  pleasure  this  scrap  of  paper  gave 
me  while  it  conveyed  such  welcome  news,  he  would  omit  no  oppor- 
tunity of  sending  a  similar  line.    I  keep  the  letter  folded  as  I  re- 


^^■^ 


bi 


rOLITICAL  CONJECTURES. 


27 


th: 


ccivcd  it,  ftnd  never  open  it  without  a  revival  of  tlic  sensations  I  ex- 
perienced on  its  receipt. 

"It  seems  not  improbable  that  we  may  become  involved  in  war, 
in  whicli  case,  to  secure  my  property,  it  may  become  necessary  for 
me  to  become  a  citoyen.  The  French  seem  determined  that  we  shall 
flglit  either  tliem  or  the  English,  and  although  I  am  no  advocate  for 
the  treaty  which  gives  them  such  oflEence,  yet  should  it  be  broken  to 
please  them,  or  should  an  apology  be  made  (as  they  request)  for  any 
part  of  the  president's  independent  speech,  I  should  be  ashamed  in 
any  foreign  country  to  acknowledge  myself  an  American.  But 
these  are  sacrifices  America  cannot  make.  In  my  opinion  the  hor- 
rors of  the  most  bloody  war  should  be  preferred. 

"  You  may  perhaps  laugh  at  me  and  call  it  quixotism,  but  I  be- 
lieve if  we  would  keep  our  ships  at  home,  and  entirely  withhold  our 
supplies,  we  could  be  more  than  a  match  for  these  two  noisy  powers 
united.  I  see  no  reason  why  we  can't  live  for  a  time  without  foreign 
commerce. 

"France  by  her  amazing  conquests,  jiaving  risen  so  rapidly  to  the 
height  of  strength  and  power,  will,  I  expect,  afford  another  example 
of  human  instability  in  as  rapid  a  decline,  for,  can  her  citizens,  al- 
ready worn  out  with  the  length  of  the  war,  see  themselves  plunged 
so  much  deeper  in  it  without  uniting  with  some  of  those  frequent 
conspiracies  to  reform  the  government?  I  think  not,  and  it  appears 
to  me  that  nothing  but  such  a  reform  can  save  us  from  war.  If  we 
go  to  war  with  Franco,  Spain,  without  doubt,  must  come  in  for  a 
share  of  it,  and  what  a  field  would  then  be  presented  for  conquest, 
for  (supplied  in  part  with  ships  by  the  English)  we  should  soon  be- 
come masters  of  the  "West  India  Islands,  Louisiana  and  Florida  could 
not  resist  us,  and  why  might  we  not  expect  to  establish  the  inde- 
pendence of  South  America,  thereby  opening  a  commerce  which 
would  prove  a  very  lucrative  one  to  our  merchants,  while  it  secures 
us  an  ally  and  weakens  our  enemy? 

"Without  doubt  you  will  be  surprised  at  my  advancing  an  opin- 
ion on  any  political  subject,  but  it  is  almost  impossible  to  remain  in 
Europe  so  long  as  I  have,  at  the  French  crisis,  without  catching  a 
little  of  the  distemper;  however,  it  has  not  taken  such  hold  of  me 
but  that  I  can  attend  to  other  business,  as  a  proof  of  which,  and  a 
fear  that  my  letter  is  already  too  long,  I  will  bring  it  to  a  close." 


:H! 


■r: 


111: 


28 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


He  arrived  on  the  2l8t  of  March,  1798,  three  montlis 
from  the  time  of  leaving  Havre,  and  although  it  was 
nearly  10  p.m.  when  he  dropped  anchor,  he  was  im- 
mediately boarded  by  a  man-of-war's  boat,  and  he  was 
taken  ashore  for  an  interview  with  the  admiral,  Sir 
Ilngh  Christian. 

Of  the  popular  interest  excited  by  the  appearance  of 
his  vessel  he  saj's,  in  his  "Narrative:" 

"The  arrival  of  such  a  vessel  from  Europe  naturally  excited  the 
curiosity  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Cape;  and,  the  next  morning  being 
calm,  we  had  numerous  visitors  ou  board,  ■vvho  could  not  disguise 
their  astonishment  at  the  size  of  the  vessel,  the  boyish  appearance  of 
the  master  and  mate,  the  queer  and  unique  characters  of  the  two 
men  and  boy  who  composed  the  crew,  and  the  length  of  ihe  passage 
we  had  accomplislied.  Various  were  the  conjectures  of  the  good 
people  of  tht  Cape  as  to  the  real  object  of  our  enterprise.  While 
some  viewed  it  m  its  true  light  as  a  commercial  speculation,  others 
believed  that,  under  this  mask,  we  were  employed  by  the  French 
government  for  the  conveyance  of  their  despatches,  and  some  even 
went  so  far  as  to  declare  their  belief  that  we  were  French  spies,  and, 
as  such,  deserving  of  immediate  arrest  and  confinement.  Indeed, 
our  enterprise  formed  the  principal  theme  of  conversation  at  the 
Cape  during  the  week  subsequent  to  cur  arrival." 

The  following  letter  gives  a  brief  account  of  his  ex- 
periences : 

"  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  March  22, 1798. 

"We  arrived  here  at  nine  o'clock  last  evening,  after  the  very  long 
passage  of  eighty -nine  days.  Since  leaving  ihe  equator  we  have  had 
very  unfavorable  winds,  or  we  should  have  made  a  good  passage,  as 
my  cutter  sails  exceedingly  well,  and  is  as  good  a  sea-boat  as  I  ever 
was  on  board  of. 

"Our  good  friends,  the  English,  concluded  at  once,  on  my  arri- 
val, that  they  had  a  prize.  I  was  conducted  on  board  a  man-of-war, 
and  thence  ashore  to  the  admiral,  at  ten  o'clock  the  same  evening 
I  arrived.    The  most  particular  Inquiries  were  made,  and  the  next 


ARRIVAL  AT  CAPE  OF  GOOD  nOPE. 


29 


day  a  strict  search  was  m*ide  on  board  for  papers.  My  waste-book, 
journal,  private  letters,  and  other  papers  were  all  laken  ashore  to  the 
admiral,  and  all  the  letters  I  had  for  French  gentlemen  in  the  Mau- 
ritius were  broken  open.  Such  a  strict  search  I  never  underwent 
before,  though  I  believe  1  bore  it  with  a  tolerable  grace. 

"By  Lord  Macartney  and  the  admiral  (Sir  Hugh  Christian)  I  was 
treated  very  politely,  but  the  extreme  importance  of  the  blustering 
lieutenants  was  in  the  highest  degree  disgusting.  'Tis  a  dangerous 
moment  to  express  myself  fully.  Prudence  dictates  a  reserve,  and 
I  shall  obey  her  till  I  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you. 

"  I  have  sold  my  cutter  to  the  admiral  for  $5000,  with  permission 
to  carry  away  $10,000.  If  my  cargo  had  sold  for  as  handsome 
advance  on  the  cost  as  the  vessel  has  I  should  have  made  a  very 
handsome  voyage,  but  this  is  not  the  case.  The  cargo  will  net  lit- 
tle, if  any,  more  than  the  original  cost,  and,  from  intelligence  direct 
from  the  Mauritius,  I  am  convinced  that  if  I  had  gone  there  I  should 
have  met  with  considerable  loss. 

"I  am  exceedingly  anxious  to  hear  from  home  :  whether  we  are 
now  at  peace  or  vrar,  how  the  American  navy  goes  on,  from  whence 
the  officers  are  to  come,  whether  we  have  a  military  school,  and  (what 
more  nearly  concerns  me)  v/liether  Bill  and  George  are  in  the  navy 
or  army,  for  I  cannot  conceive  of  their  remaining  neuter.  On  the 
contrary,  I  trust  their  ambition  will  lead  them  to  be  foremost  in 
danger,  considering  life  as  a  secondary  object  when  engaged  in  the 
cause  of  justice  and  honor." 

These  two  letters  appear  to  me  to  possess  sncli  intrin- 
sic interest,  from  the  evidence  of  character  they  afford, 
that  I  have  thought  it  best  to  give  them  in  full,  thongh 
they  contain  much  that  is  irrelevant  to  the  voyage.  If 
we  take  into  consideration  the  fact  that  the  writer  was 
then  only  twenty-four,  that  the  only  advantages  of  edu- 
cation he  had  enjoyed  were  those  afforded  by  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Salem  in  tlie  last  century,  and  that  he 
liad  left  school  at  fourteen  to  enter  a  counting-room, 
from  which,  at  eighteen,  he  had  embarked  on  his  first 


m 


80 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


voyage,  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  these  letters  are 
remarkable,  alike  for  the  intelligent  thought  and  deci- 
sion they  display,  and  for  the  simplicity  and  ease  c. 
their  style.  And  to  this  I  may  add  that,  like  all  his 
journals  and  letters,  they  are  written  in  a  hand  which 
rivals  copper-plate  in  the  perfect  symmetry  of  every 
line  and  letter. 

Taken  in  connection  with  the  successful  accomplish- 
ment of  the  voyage,  which  so  many  had  declared  to  be 
impossible,  they  furnish  a  very  interesting  illustration 
of  the  intellectual  development  which  had  been  stimu- 
i'ated  by  the  commercial  activity  of  Salem. 

The  history  of  the  arrangements  for  the  sale  of  vessel 
and  cargo,  and  theii-  final  result,  cannot  be  better  told 
than  in  the  following  extract  from  the  published  "Nar- 
rative :" 

"  The  next  day  my  papers  and  letters  were  returned  to  me  by  the 
secrc^-ary  of  the  admiral,  and  I  was  surprised  by  a  proposition  from 
him  for  the  purchase  of  the  vest  el.  I  delayed  giving  an  immediate 
answer,  and  in  the  meantime  my  inquiries  led  me  to  believe  that  my 
cargo  would  sell  advantageously;  but  there  was  nothing  but  specie 
that  would  answer  my  purpose  to  take  away,  and  that  was  prohib- 
ited. With  a  provision  for  the  removal  of  this  difficulty,  and  a  good 
price  for  my  vessel,  I  was  prepared  to  negotiate  with  the  secretary. 
Meeting  him  at  the  time  appointed,  and  both  being  what  in  trade  is 
called  off-hand  men,  we  soon  closed  the  bargain  by  his  engaging  to 
pay  me,  on  delivery  of  the  CaroUtu  and  stores,  five  thousand  Spanish 
dollars,  and  to  obtain  for  me  permission  to  export  ten  thousand. 
This  so  far  exceeded  the  cost  of  the  vessel,  and  was  even  so  much 
more  than  I  had  expected  to  receive  at  the  Isle  of  France,  that  I  con- 
sidered myself  well  indemnified  for  all  my  trouble  and  anxiety. 

"  As  the  admiral  was  pressing  to  have  the  vessei  discharged,  it 
was  ray  intention  to  land  the  cargo  next  day  on  my  own  account; 
but  in  the  meantime  I  contracted  with  the  merchant  at  whose  house 


UNEXPECTED  DIFFICULTIES. 


81 


I  now  resided,  for  the  whole  of  it  at  a  moderate  advance  on  the  in- 
voice, it  being  agreed  that  he  was  to  pay  the  duties,  the  expense  of 
landing,  etc.  My  spirits  were  now  much  elevated  with  my  success, 
the  prospect  of  soon  being  rid  of  the  Caroline,  and  of  the  care  insep- 
arable from  having  such  a  vessel,  so  circumstanced. 

"But  new  and  alarming  difBculties  awaited  me,  of  which  I  had 
no  suspicion,  and  which  were  more  harassing  than  the  dangers  of 
winds  and  waves.  It  appeared  that  the  duties  on  entries  at  the  cus- 
tom-house were  a  percentage  on  the  invoice,  and  that  it  was  a  very 
common  practice  with  the  merchants  to  make  short  entries.  The 
purchaser  of  my  cargo  was  aware  that,  to  stand  on  equal  footing 
with  other  merchants,  he  must  do  as  they  did;  but  he  seems  not  to 
have  reflected  that,  being  known  to  be  more  hostile  to  the  English 
government  than  any  other  individual  at  the  Cape,  he  would  bo 
rigidly  watched,  and,  if  detected,  would  have  less  indulgence  tlian 
any  other.  The  consequence  was  a  detection  of  the  short  entry  and 
a  seizure  of  vessel  and  cargo. 

"The  merchant  went  immediately,  in  a  supplicating  mood,  to  the 
collector,  in  the  hope  of  arranging  the  affair  before  it  should  become 
generally  known,  but  it  was  all  in  vain. 

"The  only  alternative  that  seemed  now  to  be  left  me  was  to 
appeal  to  the  highest  authority,  and  I  determined  to  write  to  Lord 
Macartney,  and  prove  to  him  that,  by  my  contract  for  the  sale  of  the 

irgo,  the  duties  were  not  to  be  paid  by  me,  and  that,  consequently, 
J  should  have  derived  no  benefit  had  the  attempt  for  evading  them 
succeeded;  but  that,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  vessel  and  cargo  were 
to  be  confiscated,  I  should  be  the  sufferer,  as  it  was  doubtful  if  tho 
merchant  could  make  good  the  loss.  I  hoped  he  might  thus  be  in- 
duced to  advise  a  less  severe  course  than  the  collector  intended  to 
pursue.  But  how  to  write  a  suitable  letter  embarrassed  me.  I  had 
no  friend  with  whom  to  advise.  I  was  entirely  ignorant  of  the 
proper  manner  of  addressing  a  nobleman,  and  at  the  same  time  was 
siware  of  the  necessity  of  conforming  to  customary  rules.  In  this 
dilemma  I  remembered  to  have  seen,  in  an  old  magazine  on  board 
my  vessel,  some  letters  addressed  to  noblemen.  These  I  sought  as 
models,  and  they  were  a  useful  guide  to  me.  After  completing  my 
letter  in  my  best  hand,  I  enclosed  it  in  a  neat  envelope  and  showed  it 
to  the  admiral's  secretary,  who  appeared  to  be  friendly  to  me.    He 


,  i 


f! 


i« 


-*  n 


82 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


approved  of  it,  and  advised  my  taking  it  myself  to  his  lordship  im- 
mediately, 

"As  the  schoolboy  approaches  his  master  after  having  played 
truant,  so  did  I  approach  Lord  Macartney  on  this  occasion.  I  de- 
livered my  letter  to  him,  and,  after  hastily  reading  it,  he  sternly  said 
that  'he  could  not  interfere  in  the  business;  there  were  the  laws, 
and  if  they  had  been  infringed  the  parties  concerned  must  abide  the 
consequences;'  but  hh  ,'"'"'  he  'would  speak  to  the  collector  on 
the  subject.'  This  last  a,.  ;n,  delivered  in  rather  a  milder  tone, 
led  me  to  encourage  the  hope  that  the  affair  would  not  end  so  disas- 
trously as  if  left  entirely  to  the  discretion  of  the  collector.  Nor 
were  my  hopes  unfounded,  as  the  next  day  the  vessel  and  that  part 
of  the  cargo  yet  remaining  on  board  were  restored  to  me;  while  the 
portion  in  the  possession  of  the  collector  was  to  be  adjudged  in  the 
fiscal  court,  where  it  was  eventually  condemned,  to  the  amount  of 
about  $2000,  which,  as  a  favor  to  the  merchant,  I  agreed  to  share 
with  him.  The  success  of  my  letter  was  the  theme  of  public  con- 
versation in  the  town,  and  was  the  means  of  procuring  me  the  ac- 
quaintance of  several  individuals  of  the  first  respectability. 

"The  delay  caused  by  this  controversy  was  unfavorable  to  the 
views  of  the  admiral,  who  began  to  evince  symptoms  of  impatience, 
and  would  probably  have  taken  out  the  cargo  with  his  own  men  if 
we  had  not  set  about  it  with  earnestness  as  soon  as  the  vessel  was 
released  from  seizure.  Having,  the  day  following,  completed  the 
unlading,  I  delivered  the  vessel  to  the  officer  who  was  authorized  to 
take  possession.  In  two  days  after  she  was  expedited,  with  a  lieu- 
tenant of  the  navy  in  command  and  a  competent  number  of  men  (I 
believe  for  India),  and  in  a  subsequent  voyage  I  learned  that  she 
never  had  been  heard  of  afterwards.  It  is  probable  that  the  officer 
in  charge,  having  been  accustomed  only  to  large  and  square-rigged 
vessels,  was  not  aware  of  the  delicacy  of  management  required  by 
one  so  small  and  diflferently  rigged,  and  to  this  her  loss  may  be  at- 
tributed. 

' '  The  various  drawbacks  on  my  cargo,  arising  from  seizure,  some 
damage,  and  some  abatement,  reduced  the  net  proceeds  to  about  the 
original  cost.  This,  with  the  amount  of  the  vessel,  I  collected  in 
Spanish  dollars,  making  altogether,  after  my  various  disbursements, 
the  sum  of  $11,000,  which  I  kept  in  readiness  to  embark  on  the  first 


AT  THE  CAPE. 


88 


vessel  that  should  enter  the  bay  on  her  way  to  India  or  China.  I 
was  obliged,  however,  to  wait  several  months  before  any  such  chance 
offered.  In  the  meantime  my  long  residence  and  leisure  at  the  Cape 
afforded  me  the  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  many 
families,  and  of  visiting  many  places  of  interest  in  the  vicinity  of 
Cape  Town  " 

2i* 


m 


CHAPTER  III. 


II      ! 


I  4k 


Voyage  irom  China  to  the  Northwest  Coast  of  America.— Letters 
from  Canton.— Difficulties  of  the  Undertaking. — Hardships  of 
the  Voyage. — Mutiny  of  the  Men. — Adventures  on  the  Coast.— 
Safe  Return  to  Canton. 

ALTiiouan  the  authorities  at  the  Cape  could  discover 
no  evidence  that  he  was  actually  a  bearer  of  despatches 
from  the  Directory,  the  measures  they  adopted  served 
effectually  to  prevent  their  delivery. 

It  was  more  than  four  months  before  an  opportunity 
offered  to  leave  the  Capo,  and  so  long  a  time  elapsed 
before  he  visited  the  Isle  of  France  that  the  final  de- 
livery of  the  despatches  to  the  authorities  there  served 
only  to  prove  that  he  had  been  faithful  to  his  trust. 
The  following   is   his   last  letter  before  leaving  the 

Cape : 

"  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  August  1,  1798. 

"Were  you  to  judge  from  the  date  of  ray  letter,  you  would 
undoubtedly  conclude  I  was  thus  far  on  my  return  from  India,  and 
with  reason,  for  no  one  would  suppose  it  possible  to  remain  in  this 
place  four  months  without  meeting  an  opportunity  for  Bengal. 
This,  however,  has  really  been  my  case,  whether  from  a  decline  of 
the  American  commerce,  or  a  dislike  of  the  masters  of  ships  to 
subject  themselves  to  the  scrutiny  practised  by  the  officers  of  the 
navy,  or  both,  I  know  not;  but,  in  consequence  of  it,  and  a  fear 
that  it  may  be  yet  a  long  time  before  I  meet  such  an  opportunity  as 
I  wish,  I  have  taken  up  with  the  only  one  that  has  offered,  on  board 
the  brig  Betsey  of  Baltimore,  and  we  sail  to-morrow  morning  for 
Batavia.    I  could  have  wished  wc  were  bound  to  a  more  pleasant 


FROM   '^NTOiV  TO  THE  NORTHWEST  COAST. 


85 


climate;  bu»  /  patience  was  quite  exhausted,  and  I  preferred 
risking  my  uealtli  to  waiting  any  longer  here.  I  do  not  intend 
coming  home  before  the  spring  or  summer  of  1799.  Please  advise 
my  friend,  Mr.  James  Prince,  of  my  destination." 

In  his  next  letter  from  Batavia  we  have  tlio  first 
intimation  of  his  contemplation  of  a  voyage  to  the 
northwest  coast  of  America,  and  in  the  succeeding  one, 
from  Canton,  the  announcement  of  his  decision  to  at- 
tempt it.  As  tliis  was  one  of  his  most  adventurous 
voyages,  involving  certain  exposure  to  very  great  hard- 
ship, with  constant  risk  of  destruction ;  and  as  the 
danger  was  incalculably  increased  by  the  circumstances 
attendant  upon  it,  these  letters  possess  especial  interest, 
showing  as  they  do  his  recognition  of  the  difficulties  he 
had  to  encounter,  by  the  efforts  he  made  to  find  other 
means  of  profitable  investment,  and  his  wish  to  save  his 
friends  from  anxiety,  by  the  pains  he  takes  to  assure 
them  of  his  excellent  equipment  for  the  voyage. 

The  appreciation  of  its  boldness  in  the  minds  of  com- 
petent judges  is  afforded  by  the  incidental  testimony  of 
an  unprejudiced  witness. 

It  happened  that,  on  his  arrival  at  Canton,  after  the 
successful  accomplishment  of  the  voyage,  a  llnssian 
exploring  expedition,  under  the  command  of  Admiral 
Kruzenstern,  was  lying  in  port. 

In  his  subsequently  published  history  of  the  expe- 
dition the  admiral  mentions  the  fact  of  my  father's 
arrival  at  Canton  while  he  was  there,  and  speaks  of  the 
voyage  as  a  very  extraordinary  one. 

He  makes  the  mistake,  however,  of  ascribing  its 
achievement  to  an  Englishman,  whic)    probably  arose 


i 


:   ■ 


nl': 


■il 


K  i : 


ff 


U! 


ii 


i   J 


n-J 


I 


86 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR 


from  the  fact  that  the  vessel  had  previously  been  under 
English  colors,  and  again  assumed  them  on  my  father  s 
return,  when  she  was  sold  to  an  Englishman.  The 
history  of  the  Russian  expedition  was  reviewed  in  the 
North  American^  of  which  Jared  Sparks  was  then 
editor ;  and,  in  order  to  correct  this  mistake,  he,  being 
a  warm  personal  friend  of  my  fatlier,  procured  from 
him  a  somewhat  detailed  account  oi  the  voyage,  which 
may  be  found  in  No.  57  of  the  North  American  Review 
(October,  1827).  It  is  introduced  with  the  prefatory 
remark  that — 

"As  this  voyage  was  one  of  an  extraordinary  character,  and 
evinced  a  degree  of  enterprise,  perseverance,  and  decision  rarely  to 
be  met  with,  and  worthy  of  imitation,  we  are  happy  to  have  dn  op- 
portunity to  lay  a  short  sketch  of  it  before  our  readers." 

After  giving  my  father's  account  of  its  leading  inci- 
dents, the  notice  concludes  with  the  following  com- 
ment : 

"Thus  was  accomplished,  in  about  eight  months,  one  of  the  most 
arduous,  successful,  and,  all  things  considered,  hazardous  voyages 
of  which  any  account  has  been  given." 

At  this  date  I  trust  that  no  apology  is  necessary  for 
giving  the  following  letters  in  full : 

"Batavia, /&p^ewS«r  11,  1798. 

' '  Before  my  departure  from  the  Cape  I  left  a  few  lines  with  Mr. 
Hubner,  to  inform  you  of  my  detention.  It  would  give  me  great 
pleasure  if  I  could  now  infoiin  you  of  my  speedy  return  from  hence. 

"  Had  I  been  fortunate  enough  to  meet  with  a  vessel  that  could 
take  fifty  or  sixty  tons  freight  to  America  or  Europe,  I  should  have 
made  a  very  handsome  voyage.  Coffee  can  be  purchased  here  at 
8f  cents  per  lb.,  American  weight,  deliverable  on  board;  sugar  at 


FROM  CANTON  TO  THE  NORTHWEST  COAST. 


37 


$6.50  per  cwt. ;  either  of  which  articles  would  prohably  yield  a  profit 
of  two  hundred  per  cent,  clear  of  all  charges.  But  this  prospect  I 
am  obliged  to  leave,  or  wait  in  this  unhealthy  climate  at  a  great 
expense,  without  being  certain  of  an  opportunity.  Of  the  two  evils 
I  have  made  choice  of  the  former  as  the  smallest,  and  shall  sail 
to-morrow  in  the  ship  Swift,  of  New  York,  Captain  White,  for 
China.  From  thence  I  shall  endeavor  to  freight  for  the  Mauritius, 
if  possible;  if  not,  direct  for  America;  and  if  neither  of  these  can  be 
done,  I  shall  then  probably  purchase  a  small  vessel  and  go  to  Iho 
northwest  coast  for  furs;  but  this  last  I  shall  not  do  unless  the 
prospect  is  very  great,  and  there  is  no  possibility  of  getting  to 
America  or  Europe. 

*'  The  remittance  I  made  you  from  Europe  will  not  be  near  adequate 
to  your  wants,  and  were  I  not  acquainted  with  the  resources  you 
have,  I  should  be  very  uneasy  on  your  account.  I  can  easily  con- 
ceive of  its  being  disagreeable  to  you  to  take  up  money  on  my 
account,  but,  while  you  are  doing  it,  you  ought  to  recollect  the 
pleasure  I  derive  from  discharging  those  debts.  Were  it  not  for 
this,  money  would  hardly  be  worth  taking  care  of.  I  hope  to  be 
with  you  in  May  next. " 

"  Canton,  November  24,  1798. 

"As  there  will  be  a  direct  opportunity  to  write  you  in  about  a 
month  by  a  Salem  and  a  Boston  vessel,  I  intended  to  let  this  vessel 
go  without  writing,  but  recollecting,  if  I  did,  you  would  not  expect 
my  being  here  next  year,  and  would,  in  consequence,  miss  the 
opportunity  of  sending  me  letters  by  the  ships  that  will  be  leaving 
America  about  the  time  you  will  receive  this,  I  hastened  to  remind 
you  of  it,  and  that  I  shall  look  out  for  letters  by  New  York,  Boston, 
or  Salem  vessels.  I  am  now  about  two  years  absent  from  my 
friends,  and  have  not  received  a  line  from  any  of  them.  Remind 
them  of  this,  and  I  know  they  won't  fail  to  write  me. 

"I  endeavored  to  freight  my  property  home  to  America,  more 
with  a  desire  of  being  again  employed  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Derby,  Jr., 
than  profit,  or  any  other  consideration;  but  my  efforts  were  in- 
effectual without  making  too  great  sacrifices,  and  I  had  no  other 
alternative  than  doing  as  I  have  done,  which  is  to  fit  out  an  expedi- 
tion to  the  northwest  coast  of  America  for  furs. 

"  I  am  two-thirds  concerned  in  a  fine  cutter,  and  the  same  proper- 


■ss 

4\ 


88 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


«\"' 


tion  of  cargo.  We  shall  be  well  manned  and  anned,  and,  I  doubt 
not,  meet  with  success.  The  prospect  is  considered  greater  at 
present  than  it  has  been  for  several  years  past.  If  Bill  or  George 
have  become  sailors,  and  are  inclined  to  enter  the  fur  trade,  I 
doubt  not  of  being  able  to  do  something  for  one  of  them ;  though 
it  would  not  be  prudent  to  come  dependent  on  meeting  me  here, 
because,  if  I  fail  of  success  the  first  season,  I  shfdl  winter  on  the 
coast.  I  shall  write  you  very  particularly  by  the  Boston  and  Salem 
vessels." 

"Canton,  December  15,  1798. 

•'I  have  written  you  two  letters  from  this  place,  both  of  which 
will  advise  you  that  I  am  bound  to  the  northwest  coast  of  America. 

"The  only  part  I  wish  to  repeat  is  concerning  a  provision  for 
yourself.  Do  anything  with  me  or  my  property  rather  tlian  want. 
I  know  you  have  many  warm  friends  in  Salem,  and  I  know  how 
unpleasant  it  is  to  ask  assistance  of  them;  but,  as  it  is  only  for  the 
moment,  and  it  is  quite  out  of  my  power  to  make  you  a  remittance, 
I  do  not  see  tliat  you  can  do  otherwise. 

"  I  want  exceedingly  to  see  you  and  my  valued  friends  in  Salem, 
but  my  pride  (for  it  is  nothing  else)  will  long  deny  me  that  hap- 
piness." 

"  Canton,  January  6,  1799, 

"This  is  the  last  letter  I  shall  write  you  this  season,  as  I  shall  sail 
to-morrow  for  the  northwest  coast  of  America.  We  are  thirty  days 
earlier  than  I  at  flrsc  intended,  in  consequence  of  hearing  of  several 
vessels  from  America  on  the  same  voyage ;  and  have  so  enlarged^ur 
stock  as  to  make  it  amoujot  to  $18,600.  Should  we  not  be  the  first 
vessel  on  the  coast,  I  am  persuaded  we  shall  do  as  well  as  those  that 
are. 

"We  have  every  possible  advantage.  A  vessel  well  calculated  for 
inland  navigation,  the  best  articles  of  trade  that  can  be  carried,  a 
linguist  who  speaks  the  Indian  language  as  well  as  his  own,  and 
ofHcers  experienced  in  the  business.  Should  we  fail  of  success,  with 
all  these  advantages,  it  will  be  very  extraordinary  ill-fortune,  and 
such  as  I  don't  choose  to  expect. 

"I  wrote  you  a  long  letter  by  the  Elizabeth,  and  desired  you  to 

•use  my  credit  for  any  money  you  may  want;  and  even  to  sell  out  a 

part  or  the  whole  of  my  present  speculation  rather  than  be  distressed. 


DIFFICULTIES  OF  THE  VOYAGE. 


89 


"Should  your  other  sources  fail,  I  insist  that  you  do  anything 
with  me  or  mine  rather  than  want.  Should  Bill  or  George  come  to 
China,  and  my  first  voyage  prove  successful,  I  could  give  one  of 
them  a  berth  on  board  my  cutter;  and  when  I  leave  her,  which  I 
expect  to  do  after  two  seasons,  will  leave  the  consignments  with  the 
one  who  ch(>08e8  the  business. " 


It  will  be  seen  in  this  last  letter  that  he  dwells  upon 
the  encouraging  features  of  the  undertaking,  but  makes 
no  allusion  to  the  circumstances  which  would  have  de- 
terred most  men  from  attempting  it,  and  of  which  ho 
must  have  been  fully  aware,  even  if  he  had  not  been 
warned  of  them  by  veteran  navigators,  who  regarded 
the  attempt  as  the  wild  scheme  of  an  inexperienced 
youth  of  twenty-live.       -  >  '    - 

It  is  proper  that  these  circumstances  should  be  fully 
stated,  in  order  that  they  may  be  appreciated  by  those 
who  are  ignorant  of  the  technical  obstacles  he  had  to  en- 
counter. The  first  and  most  important  of  these  was  the 
fact  that,  until  he  could  weather  the  northern  end  of 
Formosa,  his  course  was  directly  in  the  teeth  of  the 
northeast  monsoon,  which  at  that  season  blew  almost  in- 
cessantly, and  often  with  great  violence,  and  would  have 
rendered  the  voyage,  in  a  square-rigged  vessel,  an  im- 
possibility. This  difficulty  would  have  been  removed 
could  he  have  waited  a  month  later,  as  he  first  intended ; 
but  the  news  that  ships  had  sailed  from  Boston  for  the  / 
same  object  rendered  the  necessity  of  being  early  upon  the  ^ 
coast  an  essential  condition  of  success.  His  theory  was 
that,  in  his  small  fore-and-aft-rigged  vessel — which  will 
run  several  points  nearer  the  wind  than  a  square  rig — 
be  could  beat  up  the  coast  of  China,  keeping  so  near  the 


'  I 


i  A 


I  'Ai  i 
i  V\ 


40 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


ml' 


shore  that  lio  could  run  in  and  come  to  anclior  when 
tlio  weather  was  so  tempestuous  that  he  could  make  no 
headway  against  it.  But  this,  of  course,  exposed  liim 
to  such  danger  of  shipwreck  as  ho  would  have  escaped 
on  the  open  ocean,  with  plenty  of  sea-room ;  and  this 
danger  was  greatly  enhanced  by  the  fact  that  no  accu- 
rate chart  of  the  coast  could  bo  procured,  and  the  near- 
est approach  to  it  he  was  able  to  gej;  was  a  manuscript 
map,  drawn  for  liim  by  a  navigator  who  had  some  fa- 
miliarity with  its  features.  For  the  performance  of  such 
duties  as  would  be  required,  it  was  eminently  desirable 
that  his  crew  should  be  composed  of  orderly,  reliable, 
and  efficient  seamen,  and  the  risk  of  capture  by  the  Ind- 
ians, after  arriving  on  the  coast  of  America,  made  it 
necessary  to  carry  a  much  larger  crew  than  the  ordinary 
complement  of  a  vessel  of  that  size.  The  only  men  that 
could  be  had,  however,  were  of  the  worst  class — the  de- 
serters from  other  vessels,  who  were  hanging  about  Can- 
ton, ready  to  take  up  with  any  means  of  egress  that 
offered.  It  is,  perhaps,  difficult,  at  this  day,  for  a  mar- 
iner whose  experience  of  ocean  life  has  been  gained 
under  the  light  of  modern  science,  and  with  the  aid  of 
modern  appliances  and  inventions,  to  appreciate  the  dif- 
ficulty, danger,  and  hardship  of  such  a  voyage,  or  the 
courage  and  determined  will  required  for  its  successful 
execution.  He  sailed  from  Canton  on  tlie  10th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1799,  passing  Macao  at  four  p.m.  on  the  same  day, 
and  keeping  a  long  distance  from  the  shipping,  lest  some 
of  his  men  might  be  reclaimed  by  the  ships  from  which 
they  had  deserted. 
I  do  not  propose  to  repeat  the  details  of  the  voyage, 


VOYAGE 


wliicli  has  been 
iijil  of  each 
also  a  man  user 
written  at  sea 


nient  of  his  fatlier,  giving  a  full  account  of  all  his  ex- 
periences; and  the  performance  of  the  voyage  itself  is 
scarcely  less  wonderful  than  the  fact  that,  under  all  tha 
difficulties  of  the  situation,  both  journal  and  manuscript 
are  executed  in  a  hand  like  copper-plate,  such  as  not 
one  man  in  a  thousand  could  equal  ^  di  every  appliance 
for  skilful  penmanship.  Yet  this  was  long  before  the 
invention  of  metallic  pens,  and,  to  his  latest  day,  my 
father  disdained  their  use,  and  adhered  to  the  goose- 
quill.  A  few  extracts  from  these  manuscripts,  written 
at  the  time,  and  without  a  thought  of  their  ever  being 
made  public,  will  serve  to  show  some  of  the  character- 
istics which,  in  reality,  formed  the  groundwork  of  his 
success.  Thus,  in  the  account  of  the  voyage  written 
for  his  father's  amusement,  the  opening  passage  shows 
clearly  how  fully  he  was  aware  of  the  difficulties  he  had 
to  encounter,  and  how  carefully  he  had  considered  his 
means  of  coping  with  them : 


■  ■  I 


•M 


"  I  think  you  were  informed,  by  one  of  my  last  letters  from  Chi- 
na, of  my  determination  to  sail  from  thence  earlier  than  I  at  first 
intended,  in  consequence  of  hearing  of  several  vessels  fitting  out  for 
a  similar  voyage  from  America;  and  to  this  I  am  indebted  for  the 
success  of  my  voyage,  as  I  shall  show  you  in  course.  It  was,  how- 
ever, contrary  to  the  advice  of  my  best  friends,  and  the  most  expe- 
rienced navigators  in  those  seas,  some  of  whom  took  considerable 
pains  to  dissuade  me  from  it  by  telling  me  that,  as  it  was  at  the 
height  of  the  northeast  monsoon,  there  would  be  a  continual  rapid 
current  against  me,  and  frequent  gales  of  wind ;  that  I  might  beat  a 


II 


42 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


month  without  gaining  any  to  windward,  and  should  finally  return 
— if  at  all— with  my  sails  and  rigging  torn  to  pieces,  to  refit.  I  was, 
as  you  will  imagine,  not  pleased  with  such  gloomy  prospects,  but 
concluded  that,  if  1  was  to  meet  ruin,  it  might  as  well  be  by  being 
torn  to  pieces  on  the  China  coast  as  to  arrive  on  the  coast  of  Amer- 
ica after  the  object  of  my  voyage  had  been  secured  by  other  vessels. 
I  was  the  more  encouraged  to  make  the  trial  as  I  could  not  learn 
that  it  had  ever  been  attempted  at  the  same  season  of  the  year  by 
any  European ;  therefore  my  advisers  could  not  be  certain  of  its  im- 
practicability. I  knew,  also,  that  they  supposed  I  should  keep  at — 
what  is  generally  called — a  prudent  distance  from  the  shore,  and  did 
not  conceive  that  any  man  would  beat  up,  for  the  most  part,  within 
hail  of  an  extensive,  dangerous  coast,  not  only  without  having  any 
experience  along  it,  but  with  no  other  guide  than  an  imperfect  fflan- 
usf^ript  chart. 

"  The  handiness  of  my  vessel  and  her  easy  draught  of  water  led 
me  to  do  this,  in  the  expectation  that  I  should  meet  with  regular 
tides,  and  that,  when  they  were  against  me,  I  should  often  be  able 
to  anchor,  and  on  this  I  principally  depended  for  the  accomplishment 
of  this  arduous  task.  On  the  10th  January,  1 799,  having  all  hands 
on  board,  in  number  twenty-one  persons,  consisting  —  except  two 
Americans — of  English,  Irish,  Swedes,  and  French,  but  principally 
the  first,  who  were  runaways  from  the  men-of-war  and  Indiamen, 
and  two  from  a  Botany  Bay  ship,  who  had  made  their  escape — for 
>ve  wera  obliged  to  take  such  as  we  could  get— served  to  complete  a 
list  of  as  accomplished  villains  as  ever  disgraced  any  country.  I 
weighed  anchor  from  Anson's  Bay  at  eight  a.m.,  with  a  fresh  breeze 
from  the  northeast,  and  cloudy,  unpleasant  weather,  passing  Macao 
Roads  at  four  p.m.  at  a  considerable  distance,  fearing  to  go  within 
gunshot  of  the  shipping,  lest  they  should  bring  us  to  and  take  our 
men  out,  many  of  whom  belonged  to  these  very  ships. " 


Three  weeks  of  incessant  labor,  liard8l)ip,  and  expos- 
ure proved  that  tlio  terrors  of  the  voyage  liad  not  been 
e.xaggeiated.  Beating  up  against  the  wind  whenever  a 
favorable  tide  or  a  temporary  diminution  in  its  violence 
enabled  them  to  do  so,  yet  often  finding  themselves,  at 


^ 


VOYAGE  TO  THE  NORTHWEST  COAST. 


43 


night,  abreast,  and  sometimes  leagues  to  leeward  of,  the 
point  they  Iiad  left  in  the  morning;  running  in  to  an- 
chor at  night  at  any  harbor  they  could  make,  and  avail- 
ing themselves,  in  doing  so,  of  the  information  thoy 
could  get  from  the  fishermen  or  proprietors  of  the 
junks,  of  which  they  often  found  large  fleets  at  anchor 
in  the  harbors ;  several  times  having  hair-breadth  escapes 
from  sunken  rocks,  on  which  they  touched  or  passed 
close  by  in  ignorance,  and  so  continually  wet  throngh 
that  the  labor  of  carrying  clothes  up  into  the  rigging  to 
dry  was  unremitting,  caused  such  suffering  and  depres- 
sion in  the  crew  a?  finally  to  break  out  in  open  mu- 
tiny. 

A  single  extract  will  sf  rve  as  a  sample  of  the  experi- 
ences so  often  repeated  that  even  the  perusal  of  them 
in  the  daily  journal  becomes  depressing  from  its  painful 
monotony: 


, 


■4 


"On  the  morning  of  the  21st  we  weighed  anchor,  and  put  out  in 
company  witli  several  junks,  and  till  the  24th  had  no  other  than  a 
head  wind,  sometimes  blowing  very  fresh,  at  others  moderate.  In 
the  former  case,  when  we  could  gain  nothing  by  beating,  we  gener- 
al!/ found  a  smooth  place  in  which  to  anchor,  and  in  the  latter  were 
always  forced  to  anchor  when  the  tide  made  against  us.  In  the 
morning  of  the  24th  we  had  a  light  breeze  from  southwest,  which, 
soon  after  increasing,  blew  a  good  whole-sail  breeze  all  day,  and 
I  was  flattering  myself  it  would  carry  us  round  the  north  end  of 
Formosa,  when  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  passage  would  have 
been  completed  ;  but  in  this  I  was  grievously  disappointed,  for,  at 
eight  P.M.,  the  wind  shifted,  in  a  squall,  to  its  old  quarter,  the  north- 
east, and  blew  very  hard.  Till  the  night  of  the  26th  we  continued 
plying  to  windward  near  the  shore,  when,  it  being  very  dark,  we 
could  not  gain  an  anchorage,  and  therefore  stood  out  to  sea  till  seven 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  and  then  tacked  to  stand  in  again.    At 


44 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


this  time  it  blew  a  gale  of  wind;  the  sea  had,  consequently,  risen 
very  high,  and,  in  carrying  our  double-reefed  sails,  our  little  vessel 
was  mostly  under  water.  At  half-past  nine,  seeing  the  water  break 
considerably  ahead,  we  supposed  it  to  be  caused  by  a  strong  current 
setting  to  windward,  and  therefore  did  not  alter  our  course  to  avoid 
it,  particularly  as  we  judged  we  must  have  passed  over  it  while 
standing  out.  However,  in  passing  it  this  time  the  vessel  struck  once, 
a  severe  shock,  and  the  next  wave  carried  us  over,  but  filled  the 
deck  with  sand.  We  immediately  tried  the  pumps,  and  had  the 
satisfaction  to  find  the  vessel  yet  tight,  and  apparently  uninjured. 
After  escaping  this  danger,  where,  had  we  stopped,  the  vessel  must 
inevitably  have  perished,  we  ran  in  to  find  a  harbor,  and  succeeded 
by  running  four  leagues  to  leeward,  and  at  three  p.m.  anchored  in  a 
smooth,  sandy  bay  near  a  fleet  of  junks,  which,  like  ourselves,  had 
put  in  to  avoid  the  storm." 

It  had  become  obvious  that  a  mutinous  spirit  was 
working  among  the  men,  and  on  the  morning  of  Janu- 
ary 30,  when  the  order  was  given  to  weigh  anchor,  tlo 
boatswain  came  aft  with  tlie  announcement  that  they 
had  come  to  a  determination  to  do  no  more  duty  till 
certain  conditions  were  agreed  to,  among  which  were, 
that  they  sliould  do  no  unnecessary  work,  of  which  tliey 
were  to  be  the  judges ;  all  hands  should  never  bo  kept 
up,  except  when  they  saw  proper,  and  the  first  officer's 
conduct  must  be  regulated  by  a  line  they  would  mark 
out,  etc. 

No  grosser  miscalculation  of  character  was  ever  made 
than  by  these  men,  in  supposing  they  could  accomplish 
their  object  by  threats  or  intimidation. 

Immediately  on  their  refusing  to  do  duty  locks  were 
put  upon  the  harness-casks,  and  they  were  told  that,  if 
they  would  not  work,  they  should  not  cat.  A  few  of 
the  men  remained  faithful,  and  none  more  so  than  black 


m 


j;'' 


MUTINY  OP  CREW. 


46 


George,  the  ungainly  negro  described  in  tli^  account  of 
the  voyage  from  Havre.  Whatever  might  be  his  defi- 
ciencies, George  had  no  lack  of  courage,  and  ho  knew 
how  to  appreciate  kind  usage.  He  had  once  saved  his 
master's  life,  when  a  slave  in  Georgia,  at  the  cost  of  a 
severe  gunshot  wound  from  a  treacherous  Indian,  and 
his  freedom  was  given  him  as  the  reward.  But  his  sub- 
sequent employers  had  taken  advantage  of  his  simplic- 
ity, and  cheated  him  out  of  his  wages,  till  he  had  learned 
to  distrust  every  one.  My  father's  treatment  of  him  was 
so  unlike  his  previous  experiences  that  he  would  not 
leave  him,  but  remained  with  him  as  his  servant  for 
several  years,  and  finally  died  in  Boston,  and  was  buried 
there,  with  a  suitable  headstone  erecttd  by  my  father 
in  memory  of  his  services. 

With  the  small  force  who  refuoc<l  to  join  the  muti- 
neers immediate  preparations  were  made  to  rebist  the 
expected  attack  from  them,  as  they  swore  thoy  wouk! 
have  provisions. 

Two  4-pound  cannon  were  loaded  with  grape-shot, 
and  pointed  forward  from  the  quarter-deck,  and  every 
one  in  the  after  part  c^  the  vessel  was  armed  with  a 
musket  and  a  brace  of  pistols.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  this  was  in  the  day  of  flint-locks,  and  nearly  titty 
years  before  revolvers  came  into  use.  The  men  were 
then  told  that,  if  any  one  of  them  camo  abaft  the  hatch- 
way, he  would  be  instantly  shot,  and,  if  they  attempted  to 
come  in  a  body,  or  to  take  provisions  from  the  harness- 
casks,  the  decks  would  be  swept  by  the  cannon,  at  each 
of  which  a  man  was  stationed  with  a  lighted  match.  As 
the  mutineers  had  no  other  arms  than  handspikes  and 


^1! 

;  I- 

Sfc-" 

'■  5 

K''' 

K 

|D-,' 

1 

■1 

46 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


liatchets,  they  did  not  venture  an  attack,  but  stood  at 
bay,  hurling  imprecations  at  their  opponents ;  and  thus 
tliey  watched  each  other  for  the  whole  day. 

Towards  night  the  proposition  was  made  to  set  them 
ashore,  which  they  eagerly  agreed  to,  on  the  supposition 
that  they  could  then  make  their  own  terms  for  return- 
ing, as  they  knew  that  the  voyage  could  not  be  prose- 
cuted with  the  small  number  that  remained.  My  father, 
on  the  other  hand,  was  equally  confident  that  their  situ- 
uation  on  shore  would  be  so  uncomfortable  that  they 
would  be  glad  to  be  allowed  to  return  on  board  on  con- 
dition of  doing  their  duty.  And  such  proved  to  be  the 
case,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  extract  from  his 
own  account : 

"  As  our  anchorage  was  not  secure,  we,  the  next  morning,  weighed 
and  ran  into  a  sandy  bay,  where  the  men  had  been  landed. 

"As  soon  as  the  sails  were  hoisted  three  of  the  men  made  their 
appearance,  and — supposing  we  were  going  off  to  leave  them — kept 
waving  their  jackets  and  hats  for  us  to  send  for  them.  When  wo 
had  anchored  I  sent  a  boat  ashore,  but  only  om^  of  them  came  off  in 
her,  and  he  gave  such  a  lamentable  account  c  i  their  treatment  on 
shore  that  I  felt  confident  of  bringing  the  others  to  terms.  The 
boatswain  and  one  sailor,  being  the  ringleaders  of  the  mutiny,  and 
very  dangerous  men,  I  determined  not  to  take  on  any  account. 

"  They  kept  in  sight  of  the  vessel  all  day.  In  the  afternoon,  with 
my  glass,  I  saw  the  gunner  come  down  to  the  shore  and  wave  his 
jacket.  I  immediately  sent  the  boat  for  !iim,  but  the  others,  seeing 
this,  ran  after  him  and  forced  him  to  go  back  with  them  One  of 
the  ringleaders  sent  off  word  that  if  I  would  send  a  writ  ion  agree- 
ment to  use  them  well  they  would  all  return  to  their  duty  My  only 
reply  was  to  hoist  the  boat  on  board  again,  seeing  which  they  moved 
off  to  find  shelter  for  the  night. 

"It  was  late  in  the  morning  of  February  3  before  any  of  them 
made  their  appearance.    At  nine  o'clock  we  hoisted  the  colors,  fired 


MUTINY  OF  CREW. 


47 


a  4-pound  cannon,  and  weighed  anchor,  when  they  all  came  out  from 
behind  a  rock,  where  they  had  doubtless  been  watching  our  motions. 
I  then  ordered  the  boat  out,  and  with  my  second  officer  and  four 
hands,  well  armed,  went  as  near  the  beach  as  the  surf  would  permit 
I  called  them  all  down  to  the  water's  side  and  told  them  I  was  then 
going  away;  that  I  knew  there  were  several  of  them  desirous  of  re- 
turning to  their  duty,  but  were  deterred  by  the  others;  that  if  they 
would  come  forward  1  would  protect  them,  and  would  fire  at  any 
one  who  tried  to  prevent  them.  They  replied  that  they  were  all 
ready  and  willing  to  return  to  their  duty,  but  the  two  ringleaders 
were  more  ready  than  the  others,  and  when  they  were  rejected  they 
swore  none  of  the  others  should  go,  and  presented  their  knives  at 
the  breasts  of  two  of  them  and  threatened  to  stab  them  if  they  at- 
tempted to  do  so  ;  a  third  seemed  indifferent,  and  a  fourth  was  lying 
drunk  on  the  beach.  Having  secured  three,  and  one  yesterday, 
which  was  four  out  of  the  ten,  and  which,  with  a  little  additional 
precaution,  was  securing  the  success  of  the  expedition,  1  did  not 
think  proper  to  put  my  threat  in  execution  of  firing  on  them. 

"After  dinner  I  sent  the  second  officer  with  four  hands, well 
armed,  to  make  a  last  effort,  but  by  this  time  those  whose  fate  was 
decided  had  persuaded  the  others  to  share  it  with  them,  and  hnd 
carried  the  drunken  man  out  of  reach,  declaring  that  they  knew  wc 
dare  not  go  on  the  coast  of  America  with  so  feeble  a  crew,  and  we 
should  take  them  all  or  nona 

"Having  now  a  light  breeze  from  the  westward  and  a  favorable 
current,  I  concluded  to  have  no  further  altercation  with  them,  and 
immediately  hoisted  in  the  boat  and  made  sail,  leaving  on  the  island 
of  Kemoy  (which  is  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  northeast 
of  Canton)  six  of  my  most  able  men.  This  was  such  a  reduction  of 
our  number  as  would  require  unceasing  vigilance  and  extraordinary 
caution  to  counteract,  as  the  risk  of  being  attacked  by  the  Indians 
was,  of  course,  increased  in  proportion  to  our  diminished  power  of 
resistance." 

To  save  the  necessity  of  future  recurrence  to  this  ap- 
parently unfortunate  experience,  I  may  mention  here 
that  the  six  men  wlio  were  left  on  shore  were  sub- 
sequently sent  by  the  Chinese  authorities  to  Canton, 


^ 


U' 


t,-       ■  i. 
I    ,J6 


ill 

uf 
it'. 

% 

11 

in 


Ml 


r 

it 

ii 


m 

I 


if 

1   ( 

I' 

I 


48 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


^^i 


where  they  told  such  stories  of  the  dangers  and  hard- 
ships the}'  had  suffered  on  the  voj^age  in  the  cntter  that 
my  father's  friends  considered  their  predictions  fulfilled, 
and  gave  him  up  for  lost.  On  the  other  hand,  the  loss 
of  so  many  hands,  which  seemed  at  the  time  a  great 
misfortune,  proved  eventually  a  most  providential  oc- 
currence, for  they  found,  on  arriving  on  the  coast,  that 
their  provisions  had  been  so  damaged  by  the  continual 
storms  that,  even  with  their  diminished  numbers,  they 
were  forced  to  be  put  on  allowance,  and  if  they  had  had 
their  full  complement  they  would  have  been  obliged  to 
leave  the  coast  before  half  completing  their  cargo,  in 
order  to  escape  starvation.  The  success  of  the  voyage 
was  therefore  due  to  tiiis  event,  which  at  the  time 
seemed  a  great  misfortune. 

One  week  more  of  the  same  experience  of  working 
up,  inch  by  inch,  against  continual  head-winds,  and  on 
February  10  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the 
north  end  of  the  island  of  Formosa,  bearing  south,  and 
distant  ten  leagues. 

Thus,  after  thirty -one  da^'s  of  incessant  toil  and  ex- 
posure, he  had  accomplished  that  portion  of  tiie  voyage 
which  had  been  represented  as  impracticable,  and  which, 
v;ith  a  fair  wind,  could  have  been  made  in  three  or  four 
days.  The  passage  across  the  North  Pacific  at  that  in- 
clement season,  however,  was  but  a  continued  scene 
of  hardship  and  suffering.  The  wind  was  almost  inva- 
riably so  violent  that  the}'  could  carry  but  little  sail, 
and  the  sea  so  boisterous  that  the  watch  on  deck  never 
escaped  a  complete  drenching,  and  it  was  not  unfre- 
quently  the  case  that  the  fire  in  the  caboose  was  extin- 


ARRIVAL  ON  THE  COAST. 


49 


guislied.  Before  arriving  on  the  coast  the  precaution 
was  taken  of  putting  up  a  bulwark  or  screen  made  of 
liides,  which  were  fastened  to  stanchions,  all  round  the 
vessel,  so  that  the  Indians  could  not  see  on  board  and 
discover  the  small  number  of  the  crew.  Then,  when 
trading  with  them,  only  one  canoe  was  allowed  to  come 
to  the  vessel  at  a  time,  and  that  at  the  stern,  over  which 
all  communication  was  held.  On  the  evening  of  March 
30  they  arrived  on  the  coast,  and  anchored  in  a  snug 
harbor  in  Norfolk  Sound,  and  for  the  next  two  months 
were  busily  engaged  in  traflSc  with  the  natives.  Only 
one  or  two  vessels  had  arrived  before  them,  and  of  these 
they  had  in  one  respect  the  advantage,  as  the  small  size 
of  the  cutter  enabled  them  to  navigate  the  innumerable 
inlets  and  bays  with  which  the  coast  is  indented — often 
in  places  where  a  large  ship  could  not  venture — and  thus 
secure  a  great  number  of  skins,  singly  or  in  small  lots, 
which  would  not  have  reached  them  had  they  remained 
outside.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  risk  of  attack  from 
the  Indians  was  proportionally  greater,  as  they  more 
than  once  met  with  canoes  longer  than  their  own  vessel. 
It  was  evident  on  various  occasions  that  an  attack 
upon  the  vessel  was  contemplated,  and  all  sorts  of  de- 
vices were  resorted  to  by  the  savages  to  induce  them  to 
relax  their  vigilance,  or  throw  them  off  their  guard,  in 
order  to  secure  the  coveted  opportunity  for  boarding 
the  vessel.  But,  although  the  intercourse  with  them 
was  always  kind  and  conciliatory,  no  reliance  was  ever 
placed  upon  their  professions  of  friendship,  and  no  op- 
portunity for  the  display  of  their  treacherous  character 
was  ever  afforded,  although  on  one  occasion  they  were 
3 


:f  ■ 


■  Hi 


60 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


placed  by  accident  in  so  perilons  a  position  tliat  nothing 
but  a  concurrence  of  favorable  circumstances  prevented 
tlieir  utter  destruction.  This  was  after  having  collected 
a  very  valuable  cargo  of  furs  and  nearly  expended  their 
articles  of  barter,  and  when  they  were  seeking  a  safe 
place  to  replenish  their  supplies  of  wood  and  water. 

"  While  steering  to  the  westward  with  this  intention,  and  going  at 
the  rate  of  about  two  knots,  unsuspicious  of  danger,  tlie  vessel  sud- 
denly struck  a  sunken  ledge  and  stopped.  Perceiving  that  she  hung 
abaft  the  midships,  and  that  there  was  three  and  a  half  fathoms  un- 
der the  bows,  we  immediately  ran  all  the  guns  forward  and  carried 
out  an  anchor  ahead ;  but  the  tide  ebbed  so  rapidly  that  all  our  efforts 
to  heave  her  oflE  were  ineffectual.  "We  therefore  heeled  her  on  the 
side,  whence  she  would  be  less  likely  to  roll  over.  At  low  water  the 
position  of  the  vessel  was  such  as  to  afford  little  room  to  hope  that 
she  could  escape  bilging.  She  hung  by  about  four  feet  amidships, 
having  slidden  forward  as  the  tide  fell,  and  brought  up  with  the  end 
of  her  bowsprit  on  the  bottom,  while  her  keel  formed  an  angle  of 
forty-five  degrees  with  the  water-line,  the  sternpost  being  fourteen 
or  fifteen  feet  above  the  rock.  This  position,  combined  with  a  rank 
heel  to  starboard,  made  it  impossible  to  stand  on  deck.  We  there- 
fore put  a  number  of  loaded  muskets  into  the  boat,  and  prepared  to 
make  such  resistance  in  case  of  attack  as  could  be  made  by  fifteen 
men  crowded  into  a  sixteen-foot  boat.  Our  situation  was  now  one 
of  the  most  painful  anxiety,  no  less  from  the  prospect  of  losing  our 
vessel  and  the  rich  cargo  we  had  collected  with  so  much  toil,  than 
from  the  apprehension  of  being  discovered  in  this  defenceless  state 
by  any  one  of  the  hostile  tribes  by  whom  we  were  surrounded.  A 
canoe  of  the  largest  class,  with  thirty  warriors  well  armed,  had  left 
us  but  half  an  hour  before  we  struck,  and  were  now  prevented  from 
seeing  us  only  by  having  passed  round  a  small  island.  Should  the 
vessel  bilge,  there  existed  scarcely  any  other  chance  for  the  preser- 
vation of  our  lives  than  the  precarious  one  of  falling  in  with  some 
ship  before  we  were  discovered  by  Indians.  That  she  would  bilge 
if  the  weather  varied  in  any  degree  from  the  perfect  calm  which  then 
prevailed  was  almost  a  certainty.    More  than  ten  hours  were  passed 


-MOU 


w 


A  CRITICAL  SITUATION. 


61 


in  this  agonizing  state  of  suspense,  watcliing  the  horizon  to  discover 
if  any  savages  were  approaching;  the  heavens,  if  there  were  a  cloud 
tliat  might  cliance  to  ruffle  the  surface  of  the  water;  the  vessel, 
whose  occasional  cracking  seemed  to  warn  us  of  destruction;  and 
when  the  tide  began  to  flow,  impatiently  observing  its  apparently 
sluggish  advance,  while  I  involuntarily  consulted  ray  watch,  the 
hands  of  which  seemed  to  have  forgotten  to  move. 

"At  length  the  water,  as  the  tide  rose,  having  flowed  over  the 
coamings  of  the  hatches,  which  had  been  caulked  down  in  anticipa- 
tion of  this  event,  without  any  indication  of  the  vessel's  lifting,  I 
was  deliberating  on  the  propriety  of  cutting  away  the  mast,  when  we 
perceived  that  she  was  beginning  to  rise.  She  soon  after  righted  so 
much  that  we  were  able  to  go  on  board,  and  at  half -past  twelve  in 
the  night  we  had  the  indescribable  pleasure  of  seeing  her  afloat 
again  without  having  received  any  other  apparent  injury  than  the 
loss  of  a  few  sheets  of  copper. 

"To  the  perfect  calm,  smooth  water,  and  uncommon  strength  of 
our  vessel  may  be  attributed  our  escape  from  this  truly  perilous  sit- 
uation. 

"I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  the  joy  I  experienced  at  this  es- 
cape. You  may  conceive  of  it  by  being  reminded  that  on  one  side 
was  presented  death  in  its  most  horrid  form,  or  a  still  more  horrid 
captivity  among  the  rudest  savages;  in  the  other,  life,  liberty,  com- 
petence, and  a  sight  of  my  friends  again. 

' '  On  the  23d  we  laid  the  vessel  ashore  and  cut  off  the  rough  cop- 
per, perceived  that  the  keel  was  considerably  bruised  and  a  piece  of 
the  sheathing  under  the  copper  broken,  but  no  material  injury  done. 
We  gave  her  what  repair  the  time  would  permit,  and  hauled  off 
when  the  tide  flowed  so  as  to  float  her.  We  continued  navigating 
the  Sound  till  the  29th,  when,  having  collected  nineteen  hundred 
skins,  besides  a  good  proportion  of  tails,  which  is  considered  a  good 
cargo,  I  concluded  to  go  to  Norfolk  Sound  again  and  pick  up  what 
we  could  in  the  course  of  forty-eight  hours,  and  thence  to  the  Char- 
lotte Islands,  preparatory  to  taking  our  departrre  from  the  coast." 

Tliis  plan  was  cai-ried  out,  and  some  three  hundred 
skins  added  to  their  store,  the  supplies  of  wood  and 
water  replenished,  and  on  the  27th 


!,ii 


;!(     ' 


63 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


1:1 


ir 


"  We  put  to  sea,  happy  at  having  so  fortunately  completed  our  husi- 
ness,  and  doubly  so  at  leaving  this  inhospitable  coast.  Indeed,  the 
crimiDal  who  receives  a  pardon  under  the  gallows  could  hardly 
feel  a  greater  degree  of  exultation." 

His  return  passage  to  China  via  the  Sandwich  Islands 
was  chiefly  remarkable  by  the  pleasant  contrast  it  af- 
forded to  the  hardships  and  dangers  to  which  they  had 
so  long  been  exposed.  He  arrived  at  Wainpoa  on  the 
15th  of  September,  and  thus  describes  his  meeting  with 
his  friends  there : 

"Several  of  the  gentlemen  who  had  predicted  our  destruction 
from  attempting  the  voyage  at  the  season  we  did,  presumed,  when 
they  saw  the  cutter  arrive,  that  we  had  failed,  which  indeed  they  had 
anticipated,  from  the  arrival  in  Canton  several  months  before  of  the 
mutineers  whom  we  had  left  on  the  coast  of  China,  and  the  sad 
stories  they  had  told  of  hardship,  danger,  and  cruel  usage. 

"  One  of  these  gentlemen,  on  meeting  me,  was  actually  beginning 
to  express  the  commiseration  he  felt  for  my  hard  fortune,  but  per- 
ceiving nothing  like  dejection  in  my  countenance  he  stopped  to 
make  inquiries,  and  was  astonished  to  learn  that  we  had  accom- 
plished the  voyage  successfully  and  had  a  cargo  on  board  that  would 
probably  produce  $60,000.  A  piece  of  information  which  I  re- 
ceived on  my  arrival  served  to  show  me  in  glaring  colors  my  own 
short-sightedness,  and  almost  to  make  me  a  convert  to  the  belief 
that  'whatever  is,  is  right,' 

"I  allude  to  the  loss  of  the  ship  Ontario.  As  I  had  known  before 
arriving  at  Canton  from  Batavia  that  Captain  Wheaton  was  desti- 
tute of  officers,  I  had  hoped  through  this  means  to  embark  myself 
and  property  for  America  free  of  expense;  but  only  twenty-four 
hours  before  my  arrival  he  had  engaged  a  chief  mate,  regretting  ex- 
ceedingly that  he  had  not  known  that  I  was  coming.  My  own  dis- 
appointment was  very  great,  as  I  knew  not  which  way  to  turn  till 
the  offer  of  the  cutter  was  presented.  Had  I  arrived  a  few  hours 
earlier  in  Canton  I  should  have  embarked  in  the  Ontario,  lost  all  my 
property,  probably  without  insurance,  and  been  left  destitute  in  a 
foreign  land." 


SUCCESSFUL  TERMINATION. 


68 


Tlie  seu-ottei'  skins  whicli  ho  had  bought  of  tho  Ind- 
ians at  the  rate  of  eight  prime  skins  in  excliango  for  a 
musket,  were  sold  in  Canton  for  $2G  eacli,  and  thus  tho 
voyage  was  completed  to  tho  satisfaction  of  all  con- 
cerned. I  cannot  better  conclude  my  account  of  it  than 
by  the  relation  of  a  pleasant  and  unexpected  recurrence 
to  it  in  subsequent  years. 

Not  long  after  tho  publication  of  my  father's  voyages 
in  1842,  he  was  surprised  at  receiving  by  mail  a  copy 
of  tho  Peoria,  Illinois,  Register  of  July  22,  1842,  con- 
taining the  following : 

"  Yankee  Daring  and  Enterprise. 

"  Under  this  head  we  copied  a  month  ago  from  the  Boston  Courier 
a  notice  of  a  new  volume  of  voyages, by  Captain  Cleveland  of  Boston. 

"  The  article  met  the  eye  of  an  old  friend  of  Captain  Cleveland,  who 
in  the  fulness  of  his  heart  has  sent  us  the  following  letter,  with  tho 
request  that  we  should  put  it  in  editorial  form.  We  prefer,  how- 
ever, to  publish  it  just  as  he  sent  it.  The  writer  is  the  respected 
postmastei  at  Andover,  in  Henry  County,  and  his  own  life  has  been 
little  less  prolific  of  adventure  than  that  of  his  salt-water  friend. 
We  knew  him  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago  as  the  proprietor  of 
the  Tontine  Coffee-house  in  New  York,  then  one  of  the  principal 
hotels  of  that  city.  Like  Captain  Cleveland,  he  has  counted  his 
dollars  by  the  thousand,  and  is  now,  at  the  turn  of  Fortune's  wheel, 
content  to  keep  a  humble  post-oflBce  in  a  town  of  twenty  houses, 
and  to  live  upon  the  gains  of  the  Andover  grist-mill,  which  he  has 
recently  purchased." 

"Andover,  July  7, 1843. 

"Mr.  Davis, — In  your  paper  of  24th  June  is  a  sketch  from  Cleve- 
land's Voyages,  taken  from  the  Boston  Courier.  Having  myself  been 
something  of  a  traveller,  it  is  pleasing  to  me  to  come  across  a  faith- 
ful narrative,  and  such  I  know  this  to  be  from  my  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  writer.  Not  having  heard  before  of  the  work,  nor 
of  Captain  Cleveland  for  many  years,  I  was  greatly  interested  in  the 


64 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


sketch,  especially  as  I  was  a  party  to  some  of  the  transactions  do- 
scribed. 

"The  sketch  says:  'With  the  $11,000  in  his  pocket  at  the  Capo 
of  Good  Hope,  as  above  stated,  and  $7000  more,  added  by  some 
associates,  Captain  Cleveland  undertook  a  voyage  from  China  to  the 
northwest  coast.'  Now,  I  was  one  of  the  'associates'  who  added 
the  $7000,  having  put  in  $3000  myself,  another  friend  having  ad- 
vanced the  same  amount,  and  the  remaining  $1000  being  furnished 
by  Youqua,  a  silk  merchant  of  Canton.  Captain  Cleveland,  on  his 
return  to  Canton,  remitted  to  us,  then  in  the  United  States,  the 
amount  of  our  investment,  which  netted  us  over  $12,000.  Invest- 
ing this  m  his  hands,  we  next  heard  of  him  at  Copenhagen,  in  Den- 
mark, where  ho  had  left  with  a  banker  $20,000  subject  to  our  or- 
der, with  profits  still  in  his  hands.  The  latter  remained  with  him 
as  a  little  capital  for  further  adventure,  and  was  subsequently  lost. 

"As  to  his  losses  of  $200,000, 1  believe  they  far  exceeded  that 
flum,  and  I  have  good  opportunity  of  judging.  Particulars  are  un- 
necessary, but  I  am  unwilling  not  to  add  that  many  years  after  our 
concern  was  considered  completely  wound  up,  we  met  by  accident, 
without  the  least  expectation  on  my  part  of  receiving  any  more,  at 
which  time,  Fortune  having  jilted  us,  it  was  low  water  with  both, 

"  He  volunteered  the  remark  that  he  had  recently  very  unexpect- 
edly received  something  from  the  wreck,  and  handed  me  the  ac- 
count minutely  and  proportionally  stated,  with  his  accustomed  ac- 
curacy, with  two  hundred  and  odd  dollars.  It  was  at  that  time  a 
pleasant  windfall  to  both,  uncertain  which  needed  it  most. 

"  These  things,  with  my  personal  acquaintance  with  the  writer  of 
these '  Voyages,'  who,through  all  the  hardships  of  his  life,  never,I  be- 
lieve, drank  any  kind  of  drinkable  but  water — although  that  must 
often  at  sea  have  been  unpalatable — warrant  me  in  assuring  the  pub- 
lic that  there  can  bo  nothing  but  unvarnished  facts  in  the  narrative; 
and  not  such  stories  as  are  often  told  by  travellers  exhibiting  more 
ruffle  than  shirt.  Although  he  is  now,  as  he  says,  in  an  office  in  tho 
Boston  Custom-House— a  position  which  in  New  York  has  proved 
so  great  a  trial  of  integrity— he  will  be  Richard  J.  Cleveland,  and,  rich 
or  poor,  will  be  the  same  man.  I  am  too  isolated  to  have  my  name 
add  anything  to  its  authority.  Yours  truly, 

"Eben.  Townsend." 


MEETING  AN  OLD  FRIEND. 


65 


My  father,  who  liad  heard  ncUiirtg  of  his  old  friend 
for  years,  and  had  supposed  hi»n  dead,  was  naturally 
much  gratified  at  having  thus  unearthed  him.  It  led  to 
a  pleasant  correspondence  and  subsequently  to  a  visit 
from  Mr.  Townsend,  when  my  father  was  living  with 
me  in  Burlington,  New  Jersey,  when  the  two  veterans 
"fought  their  battles  o'er  again"  with  great  gusto. 


i'.:- 


I 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Prom  Canton  to  Calcutta,  and  thence  to  the  Isle  of  France. — ^First 
Meeting  •with  William  Shaler.— From  the  Isle  of  France  to  Co- 
penhagen.— ^Purchase  of  the  Brig  Lelia  Byrd,  and  Preparations 
for  ft  Voyage  liound  the  World. — The  Count  de  Rouissillon. 

Having  disposed  of  the  cutter  and  arranged  with  the 
purchaser  to  go  in  her  as  passenger,  with  a  cargo  of  teas, 
etc.,  to  Calcutta,  ho  writes  to  his  father  from  Canton, 
October  19, 1798,  as  follows : 

"As  I  cannot  freight  for  America  from  hence,  I  have  let  part  of 
lue  i>roperty,  s^y  |21,000,  on  responaentia  for  Bengal,  whither  I  am 
hound,  and  have  left  $36,000  to  he  received  hy  a  friend  here,  and 
remitted  to  me  in  Bengal,  if  it  can  he  done  advantageously ;  if  not, 
to  endeavor  to  freight  it  in  fine  goods  from  hence  to  America." 

The  voyage  to  Calcutta  was  marked  by  two  escapes 
from  ruin,  and  in  one  of  them  from  certain  loss  of  life 
as  well  as  property,  such  as  no  human  foresight  can 
guard  againbi;,  and  which  are  denominated  as  providen- 
tial or  accidental,  according  to  the  faith  or  the  want  of 
it  of  the  narrator. 

On  the  5tn  of  November,  while  at  anchor  close  in 
shore  in  the  narrow  strait  before  coming  to  Malacca — 

"We  saw  a  fleet  of  eleven  Malay  proas  pass  by  to  the  eastward, 
from  whose  view  we  supposed  ourselves  to  have  beei  i  screened  by 
the  trees  and  bushes  near  which  we  were  lying.  On  perceiving  so 
great  a  number  of  largo  proas  sailing  together,  we  felt  convinced 
they  must  be  pirates,  and  immediately  loaded  our  guns  and  pre- 


NARROW  ESCAPES. 


67 


pared  for  defence;  though  conscious  that  the  fearful  odds  between 
our  crew  of  ten  men,  and  theirs,  which  probably  exceeded  a  hundred 
to  each  vessel,  left  us  scarce  a  ray  of  hope  of  successful  resistance. 

"  We  watched  their  progress,  therefore,  with  that  intense  interest 
which  men  may  naturally  be  supposed  to  feel,  whose  fortune,  liber- 
ty, and  life  were  dependent  on  the  mere  chance  of  their  passing  by 
without  seeing  us.  To  our  great  joy  they  did  so,  and  when  the  sails 
of  the  last  of  the  fleet  were  no  longer  visible  from  our  deck,  and  wo 
realized  the  certainty  of  our  escape,  our  feelings  of  relief  were  in 
proportion  to  the  danger  that  had  threatened  us. 

"  On  arriving  at  Malacca,  the  curiosity  of  the  people  was  greatly 
excited  to  know  how  we  had  escnped  the  fleet  of  pirates  which  had 
been  seen  from  the  town,  and  when  informed  they  offered  us  Iheir 
hearty  and  reiterated  congratulations." 

Of  their  second  escape  they  learned  when  they  took 
the  pilot  on  board  off  the  mouth  of  the  river,  who  told 
them  that  a  large  Portuguese  ship,  then  in  sight,  had 
been  attacked  the  day  before  by  a  French  privateer, 
which  she  had  beaten  off.  Had  they  arrived  a  day 
sooner,  therefore,  they  would  have  fallen  an  easy  prey, 
and  being  under  English  colors  the  property  would  have 
been  a  total  loss. 

At  Calcutta  he  was  again  disappointed  in  his  hope  of 
finding  an  opportunity  to  freight  his  property  on  ad- 
vantageous terms  to  the  United  States,  and  after  resi- 
dence there  of  three  months  he  writes  the  following  let- 
ter to  his  father,  in  which  ho  informs  him  of  l)ib  in- 
tended departure ;  but  from  prudential  motives  avoids 
giving  him  any  intimation  of  the  object  he  had  in  view : 

"  Calcutta,  March,  1800. 
"  Your  packet  by  my  friend  Mr.  Gray  came  to  hand,  just  as  Cap- 
tain Wheatland  was  leaving  town  to  join  his  ship.   I  think  I  acknowl- 
edged the  receipt  of  it,  but  have  no  recollection  what  I  wrote  you. 
3* 


58 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


"I  have  written  you  from  this  place  by  the  Criterion,  Mermaid, 
Samson,  and  Perseverance,  and  given  you  such  an  account  of  the 
property  left  in  China,  as  well  as  of  the  voyage  in  general,  that  if 
I  should  take  it  into  my  head  not  to  return,  you  will  not  be  at  a  loss 
to  know  how  to  settle  it,  and  I  hope  will  receive  enough  to  en- 
able you  to  live  with  ease  for  the  remainder  of  your  life. 

"However,  I  am  under  no  apprehensions  on  this  head,  and  doubt 
not  I  shall  be  able  to  wind  up  the  business  to  my  satisfaction,  and 
return  in  the  course  of  the  year  1801. 

"  If  I  had  not  gone  so  far  in  my  present  undertaking  that  it  would 
be  making  too  great  a  sacrifice  to  relinquish  it,  I  certainly  would  do 
BO,  and  take  passage  with  Mr.  Gray  in  the  Ulysses,  as  it  is  not  likely 
I  shall  again  meet  with  so  agreeable  an  opportunity.  I  have  seen 
none  of  my  countrymen  in  my  travels  possessing  a  greater  combina- 
tion of  good  qualities,  and  I  consider  his  friendship  a  valuable  ac- 
quisition. 

"I  flatter  myself  I  may  fall  in  with  Bill  and  George  before  I  re- 
turn to  America.  Accounts  of  the  tremendous  gale  at  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  have  reached  us,  and  among  the  most  fortunate  of  t*  :; 
unfortunate  vessels  that  were  caught  in  it  I  find  is  the  brig  Hannah, 
Captain  Wyman. 

"George  has  in  this  instance  experienced  a  more  disastrous  gale, 
and  been  witness  to  a  more  distressing  scene,  than  perhaps  was  ever 
known  there;  but  he  has  yet  more  dangers  to  encounter  on  our  bois- 
terous winter  coast.  The  reflecting  on  dangers,  however,  is  gener- 
ally as  unpleasant  as  the  experience  of  them. 

"  As  I  leave  all  my  books  and  papers  here,  I  have  thought  proper, 
lest  any  accident  should  happen  to  prevent  my  getting  them  again, 
to  enclose  you  copies  of  all  my  accounts  of  the  voyage  up  to  the 
present  time. 

"I  sent  you  from  hence  by  the  Perseverance,  Captain  Wheatland, 
fifty  pieces  of  bandannas  in  a  box  marked  R.  C.  This  I  did  fearing 
lest  any  accident  should  prevent  your  receiving  the  expected  prop- 
erty left  in  China. 

"I leave  this  tomorrow, and  intend  returning  here  again  in  four 
or  five  months,  when  I  shall  begin  to  think  of  turning  my  face  tow- 
ards home. 

"  If  I  meet  with  success,  and  a  good  opportunity  offers  at  that  time 


FROM  CALCUTTA  TO  THE  ISLE  OF  FRANCE. 


69 


for  freighting  the  property  home  as  safely  as  if  I  accompanied  it,  don't 
be  surprised,  or  think  your  son  crazy,  should  you  hear  he  had  gone 
to  Bombay,  in  order  to  go  overland  to  the  Mediterranean, and  thence 
through  Italy  and  France  to  England.  Such  a  thing  may  happen, 
though  appearances  are  not  much  in  favor  of  it;  yet  I  think  quite 
as  much  so  as  they  were  of  my  seeing  China  when  I  left  Salem.  I 
am  exceedingly  desirous  of  seeing  my  friends  in  Salem,  but  there 
seems  to  be  a  strange  fatality  attending  every  motion  made  to  this 
effect.  Pleasing  myself  with  the  idea  that  all  will  turn  out  for  the 
best,  time  passes  as  lightly  with  me  as  with  most  people;  and  I  am 
persuaded  that  few  people  enjoy  a  greater  share  of  happiness  than 
myself,  if  you  can  conceive  of  there  being  any  happiness  in  building 
airy  castles  and  pursuing  luem  nearly  round  the  globe  till  Uiey 
vanish,  and  then  engaging  in  a  fresh  pursuit.  But  enough  of  airy 
castles:  should  I  meet  with  a  solid  one,  I'll  take  care  to  have  it  well 
fortified  in  the  latest  style  of  engineering  science. 

"I  have  become  a  burgher  of  the  Danish  settlement  of  Frederica- 
nagore,  so  that  I  am  now  a  Dane,  and  must  do  as  the  Danes  do." 

Ho  had,  in  fact,  determined  upon  anotlier  expedition 
in  a  cockle-shell,  the  object  of  which  it  was  necessary  to 
conceal  from  the  authorities  of  Bengal,  who  allowed  no 
direct  intercourse  with  the  Isle  of  France. 

lie  had  received  intelligence  that  the  French  priva- 
teera  had  captured  and  sent  in  to  that  island  so  many 
prizes  that  the  inference  was  obvious  that  a  ship  could 
be  bought  there  on  very  advantageous  terms ; 

"I  determined,  therefore,  to  procure  a  boat  of  such  diminu- 
tive size  as  to  elude  observation,  and,  at  the  same  time,  of  so  little 
value  that  the  loss  upon  a  resale  would  not  be  serious.  Such  a 
one  I  found  at  Calcutta,  nearly  finished,  of  about  twent>  5^0  tons, 
which  I  made  a  bargain  for,  to  be  completed  immediately;  to  bo 
rigged  as  a  pilot-boat,  with  a  mainsail,  foresail,  and  jib;  to  be 
coppered  to  the  bends,  and  delivered  at  the  Danish  sclllcmcnt  of 
Serampore." 

The  engagement  was  fulfilled,  the  vessel  put  under 


60 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


the  Danish  flag,  my  father  became  a  Danish  citizen, 
loaded  the  boat  with  only  sufficient  cargo  to  put  her  in 
good  trim,  and,  embarking  himself  and  servant  as  pas- 
sengers, dropped  quietly  down  the  river  and  made  sail 
for  the  Isle  of  France. 

The  discomfort  of  such  a  boat  on  a  voyage  of  forty- 
five  days,  under  a  tropical  sun,  was,  of  course,  very 
great,  and  he  acknowledges  himself  that  "  the  attempt- 
ing such  a  passage  in  such  a  boat  was  certainly  impru- 
dent. It  was  not  so  much  owing  to  ignorance  of  the 
risk  as  to  that  impatience  which  would  not  permit  ordi- 
nary difficulties  to  interfere  with  the  pursuit  of  a  favor- 
ite object." 

I  may  hero  appropriately  introduce  an  extract  from 
a  letter  of  Commodore  Biddle  to  my  father,  in  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  receipt  of  a  copy  of  his  "  Narrative :" 

"Your  voyages  from  Havre  to  the  Capo  of  Good  Hope,  from 
Canton  to  the  northwest  coast,  and  from  Calcutta  to  the  Isle  of 
France,  could  have  been  undertaken  and  performed  by  none  other 
than  a  New  England  man. 

"  They  reflect  credit  upon  the  American  name  and  character." 

His  arrival  excited  even  more  astonishment  than  had 
been  displayed  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  when  ho 
landed  there  from  a  vessel  nearly  double  the  size  of  this 
one. 

A  crowd  followed  him  when  he  landed  and  proceeded 
to  report  to  the  governor ;  and  not  suspecting  that  he  un- 
derstood French,  expressed  freely  their  surprise  and  their 
conjectures  as  to  his  probable  object.  He  now  had  the 
opportunity  to  deliver  the  despatches  with  which  he 
had  been  intrusted  by  the  Directory  two  years  pre- 


11 : 


■fp 


WILLIAM  SEALER. 


61 


vions,  and  to  explain  the  canse  of  tho  long  delay ;  and 
although  they  were,  of  coursej  no  longer  of  any  value, 
they  served  the  purpose  of  a  favorable  introduction,  and 
secnred  for  him  the  courtesies  which  are  always  so  ac- 
ceptable in  a  foreign  land. 

The  letter  which  follows,  from  Copenhagen,  written 
tho  year  after,  gives  a  better  sketch  than  I  could  hope 
to  do  of  his  experiences;  and  the  only  item  on  which  I 
wish  to  offer  any  remark  is  the  incidental  mention  of 
his  having  made  the  acquaintance,  while  at  the  Isle  of 
France,  of  William  Shaler,  which  acquaintance  was 
destined  to  have  so  important  an  influence  on  his  sub- 
sequent life  that  it  merits  more  than  a  passing  notice. 

Mr.  Shaler  was  a  man  of  rare  intellectual  power,  and 
of  such  unflinching  courage,  determined  will,  and  kingly 
presence,  as  seemed  to  adapt  him  morally  and  physically 
to  a  leading  position  among  his  fellow-men.  Of  tho 
qualities  I  have  enumerated  he  gave  evidence  during 
his  residence  in  Algiers,  where  he  held  the  position  of 
consul-general  of  the  United  States  for  many  years,  and 
rendered  very  important  services  to  his  government 
and  countrymen  while  in  that  capacity. 

On  one  occasion,  when  a  certain  tribe  of  Arabs  were 
in  rebellion,  the  Dey  issued  an  order  for  tho  arrest  and 
imprisonment  of  every  member  of  tho  tribe  who  hap- 
pened to  be  in  the  city.  The  household  servants  of  the 
foreign  consuls  in  Algiers  were  almost  exclusively  of 
this  tribe,  and  notice  of  the  requisition  for  tlicir  sur- 
render was  at  once  sent  to  all  the  consulates. 

Some  of  the  consuls  made  no  opposition  to  tlie  decree ; 
others  paid  off  and  discharged  their  servants,  leaving 


\    0- 


-^1 


62 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


them  to  their  fate.  The  British  consul  endeavored  to 
protect  his  premises,  but  his  doors  were  forced  and  his 
servants  dragged  out  and  imprisoned. 

Every  possible  effort  was  made  to  induce  Mr.  Shaler 
to  comply  with  the  demand,  but  he  insisted  upon  main- 
taining the  dignity  of  his  flag ;  and  when  the  emissaries 
of  the  dey  made  their  appearance,  coolly  informed  thdin 
that  tliey  could  only  enter  his  premises  over  his  body. 

Ho  carried  his  point,  and  not  only  saved  his  servants 
from  imprisonment  and,  possibly,  death,  but  was  ever 
after  treated  with  distinguished  respect  and  considera- 
tion by  the  dey. 

During  the  subsequent  attack  on  the  city  by  the  Brit- 
ish fleet,  under  Lord  Exmouth,  the  influence  he  had 
acquired  enabled  him  to  render  very  valuable  diplomatic 
service  in  the  protection  of  English  and  other  Christian 
interests. 

His  "Sketches  of  Algiers,"  published  in  Boston,  in 
1826,  contains  a  very  interesting  account  of  the  country 
and  its  social  condition  under  Moorish  rule,  and  ii^so  a 
graphic  description  of  the  capture  of  the  city  by  Lord 
Exmouth. 

Of  all  men  of  distinguished  personal  appearance 
whom  I  have  had  the  good-fortune  to  meet — not  even 
excepting  Daniel  Webster — I  have  never  seen  one 
whose  aspect  seemed  to  me  so  impressive,  or  so  truly 
one  of  majestic  dignity,  as  Mr.  Shaler's,  and  his  stern 
gray  eye  had  an  indescribable  expression  of  firmness 
and  resolution  which  no  man  would  care  to  encounter 
in  opposition. 

A  gentleman  who  resided  in  a  New  England  country- 


A  LIFE-LONG  FRIEND. 


68 


town,  which  for  a  time  was  Mr.  Shaler's  home,  gave 
me  once  a  humorous  account  of  tlie  effect  of  his  appear- 
ance upon  tlio  crowd  assembled  at  the  village  post-office 
to  wait  the  assortment  of  the  mail. 

"They  would  fall  back,"  said  ho,  "and  open  to  the 
right  and  left,  as  if  a  lion  had  walked  in  at  the  door." 

lie  was  at  heart  a  man  of  warm  and  generous  nature, 
fond  of  reading  and  hard  study,  affable  and  pleasant 
with  congenial  spirits,  but  impatient  with  frivolous  and 
commonplace  people.  The  acquaintance  which  began 
at  the  Isle  of  France  ripened  into  such  a  feeling  of 
warm  attachment  and  implicit  confidence  in  each  other 
as  rarely  exists  even  between  those  who  are  connected 
by  ties  of  blood,  and  this  friendship  continued  through 
life. 

The  following,  from  my  father's  narrative,  on  the  oc- 
casion of  their  separating  after  a  long  voyage  together, 
bcurs  evidence  to  this  fact : 


"The  parting  here  from  ray  long-tried,  much-esteemed,  and  affec- 
tionate friend  Shaler  was  not  unattended  with  painful  emotions. 
We  had  shared  abundantly  in  those  dangers,  toils,  and  anxieties  no 
less  than  in  those  pleasures  and  recreations  which  combine:  so 
forcibly  to  cement  the  bonds  of  friendship. 

•  ***«•«* 

"The  many  instances  that  had  come  within  our  observation  of 
intimate  friends  becoming  alienated,  from  differing  in  opinion  on 
the  merest  trifles,  had  suggested  to  us  the  propriety  of  pondering 
well  on  our  ability  to  sustain  harmoniously  the  alliance  we  contem- 
plated in  affairs  of  greater  importance.  Nothing  short  of  our  mu- 
tual experience  of  each  other's  temper  and  disposition  could  justify 
the  presumption  implied  of  the  power  to  maintain  the  harmony  re- 
quired in  a  voyage  of  ordinary  character  between  two  persons 
equally  interested  in  the  property,  equally  competent  to  take  charge 


64 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR 


of  the  nautical  and  mercantile  part  of  the  business,  and  on  a  perfect 
footing  of  equality  in  everything  relating  to  the  management  of  the 
ship,  as  well  as  that  of  the  cargo.  But  in  an  enterprise  involving  so 
much  difficulty  and  danger,  so  much  to-  perplex  and  irritate,  with 
80  little  success  to  cheer  the  spirits  and  promote  equanimity  of 
temper,  that  we  should  be  able  to  accomplish  it  without  a  rupture  is 
surprising;  how  much  more  so,  then,  that  we  never  had  an  angry 
dispute,  and  parted  with  feelings  of  affecticn  increased  by  the  very 
difficulties  and  embarrassments  we  had  encountered  together." 

This  account  of  Mr.  Sluiler  has  filled  a  greater  space 

than  I  had  anticipated.     The  following  is  my  father's 

letter,  in  which,  as  I  have  said,  ho  is  first  mentioned. 

It  will  bo  seen   by  the  explanation  given  in  it  that 

be  bad   previously  been  restrained   from  writing   by 

the   same  prudential  motives  which   affected  him  at 

Calcutta. 

"Copenhagen,  Ju)ie  22, 1801. 

"I  am  now,  as  you  will  perceive,  at  the  Danish  capital,  from 
whence  (in  conformity  with  my  usual  custom)  I  propose  to  give  you 
a  sketcli  of  my  proceedings  since  I  last  wrote  you  from  the  capital 
of  the  British  empire  in  India. 

"I  think,  on  my  leaving  India,  you  had  no  positive  informa- 
tion as  to  my  destination  by  any  of  ray  letters  from  there;  and  I  am 
persuaded  you  will  see  the  necessity  which  existed  for  the  great- 
est circumspection  in  my  operations,  for  had  my  Icttei-s  been  inter- 
cepted by  a  ship  of  either  of  the  belligerent  powers,  and  myself  af- 
terwards fallen  into  their  hands,  the  consequences  would  probably 
have  been  an  end  of  the  voyage.  That  you  might  not,  however, 
remain  entirely  in  the  dark  respecting  them,  I  communicated  my 
plan  to  Mr.Winthrop  Gray,  who  promised  to  disclose  it  to  you  ;  but, 
alasl  he  lived  not  to  perform  this  promise.  I  was  grieved  on  hear- 
ing of  the  sad  accident  that  befell  him,  and  though  my  acquaintance 
with  him  was  not  of  long  standing,  it  was  sufficiently  so  to  give 
birth  to  a  real  friendship  for  him.  I  sincerely  wish  that  many  who 
make  much  more  profession  of  rigid  morals  were  as  incapable  as  he 
was  of  a  mean  or  dishonest  action. 


w 


LETTER  FROM  COPENHAGEN. 


65 


"My  object  in  going  to  the  Isle  of  France  -was  to  purchase  prize 
goods  or  ships,  with  which  to  return  to  India.  From  u  Itnowledgo 
of  the  great  success  of  the  privateers,  and  information  (which  I  hud 
reason  to  suppose  was  correct)  that  no  Danes  had  gone  from  Tran- 
quebar  to  malic  purchases,  I  had  but  little  doubt  that  I  should  bo 
able  to  wind  up  my  voyage  at  Calcutta  in  three  or  four  months 
from  the  time  of  my  departure,  and  with  a  handsome  profit ;  and, 
should  I  j>08siblp  be  disappointed  in  this,  that  the  American  trade 
with  France  and  her  colonics  would  soon  be  open,  and  I  should 
readily  find  an  opportunity  of  freighting  my  property  to  America. 
In  both  these  calculations  I  was  mistaken,  for,  on  my  arrival,  I 
found  that  the  sales  were  finished,  and  the  privateers  on  the  point 
of  sailing  on  another  cruise,  so  that  nothing  could  be  expected  from 
them  for  several  months.  I  therefore  decided  or\  the  second  plan, 
in  daily  expectation  of  the  arrival  of  Americans,  for  I  was  now  as- 
sured by  an  arrival  from  France  that  all  differences  between  the  two 
republics  were  amicably  adjusted.  I  therefore  went  down  to  Bour- 
bon in  expectation  of  purchasing  my  coffee  lower  and  more  readily 
than  at  Mauritius.  But  the  inhabitants  had  heard  of  the  arrival  of 
the  American  from  Fmnce^  which,  in  conjunction  with  my  arrival 
there,  led  them  to  suppose  that  their  produce  would  soon  rise  in 
value,  and  therefore  (as  in  general  they  are  not  in  want)  they  would 
not  sell  at  any  price.  After  remaining  a  fortnight  without  doing 
anything  I  returned  to  Mauritius,  where,  in  longing  expectation  of 
the  arrival  of  Americans,  and  at  times  doubting  whether  they  would 
come,finding  it  impossible  to  fit  out  a  vessel  for  America  before  we 
knew  that  the  intercourse  was  open,  and  feeling  extreme  repugnance 
at  the  thought  of  returning  to  India  without  doing  anything,  I  wait- 
ed day  after  day  and  month  after  month  with  as  much  impatience 
as  any  prisoner  ever  experienced  in  the  Bastile.  To  have  remained 
in  such  a  state  of  inactivity  in  a  more  pleasant  country  would  not 
have  been  agreeable,  but  here  everything  concurred  to  cause  the 
time  to  wear  so  heavily  away  that  the  ten  months  I  was  detained 
appear  as  long  as  all  the  rest  of  the  time  I  have  been  from  home. 
You  will  naturally  suppose  that  the  annoyance  some  of  their  priva- 
teers have  met  with  from  our  armed  merchantmen  has  much  irri- 
tAted,  and  in  many  instances  influenced,  them  in  the  condemning 
of  unarmed  vessels  which  have  been  sent  in. 


■  !     I 


?  :ti 


'\:k 


66 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


"Americans  arc  rcproaclicd  with  ingratitude  towards  France  and 
partiality  for  the  Englisli,  and  myself  among  the  few  who  were 
there;  for,  although  I  entered  as  n  Dane,  it  was  soon  discovered  that 
I  was  an  American.  Nor  did  I  try  to  conceal  it,  but,  on  the  contra- 
ry, condemned  the  measures  of  the  French  government  towards 
America  wherever  I  heard  them  discussed,  and  sometimes  (though 
rarely)  found  an  honest  Frenchman  who  was  of  my  opinion,  but  he 
was  a  planter,  and  the  planters  in  general  have  not  a  much  more 
exalted  opinion  of  the  integrity  of  the  merchants  than  I  have.  To 
brand  any  set  of  men  with  the  epithet  of  rogue  is  rather  harsh,  but, 
upon  my  word,  I  do  not  think  it  can  be  more  justly  applied  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Botany  Bay  than  to  the  merchants  Mauritius;  nor 
was  our  countryman,  Captain  Ingraham  (who  puuiished  a  list  of 
these  gentry  in  a  Boston  paper),  much  out  of  the  way  as  it  respects 
truth,  but  a  good  deal  in  point  of  prudence ;  for  this  paper,  branding 
a  number  of  them  with  the  epithet  of  rogue,  villain,  etc.,  had  like  to 
have  caused  serious  trouble  to  the  few  Americans  who  were  there. 
On  the  day  this  paper  was  produced  on  'Change  the  only  American 
who  happened  to  be  present  was  S.  Minot,  and  he  was  so  grossly  in- 
sulted by  one  of  these  censured  citoyens  (a  Mr.  Seveune)  that  a  duel 
was  the  consequence;  but,  although  they  fought  at  only  five  paces, 
no  other  mischief  arose  than  the  Frenchman's  receiving  a  ball  in  the 
arm,  which  laid  him  by  for  a  few  weeks.  Whether  he  is  more  or 
less  a  rogue  since  than  before  this  aifair  I  will  not  pretend  to  decide, 
but  leave  it  to  those  who  may  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  any  trans- 
actions with  him,  and  return  to  my  own  aiTaii's. 

"  In  December  I  purchased  and  expedited  a  ship  for  Calcutta  for 
account  of  Mr.  White,  of  Boston,  who  was  largely  concerned  in  my 
speculation,  and  was  waiting  my  return  there ;  and  early  in  January 
I  contracted  (in  conjunction  with  a  Mr,  Shaler,  of  Connecticut)  with 
a  Danish  captain  to  freight  on  board  his  ship  seven  thousand  bags 
of  coffee,  on  condition  that  he  should  deliver  us  six  thousand  bags 
in  Copenhagen.  We  were  not  to  pay  any  primage  or  average,  and 
were  to  have  passage  for  ourselves  and  servants  gratis,  except  pay- 
ing a  proportion  of  cabin  stores. 

"These  were  certainly  very  advantageous  terms,  and  such  as  only 
his  peculiar  situation  induced  him  to  accept,  as  he  liad  purchased  a 
large  ship  at  a  moderate  price,  had  not  half  property  enough  to  load 


LETTER  FROM  COPENHAGEN. 


67 


lier,  and  could  not  procure  frel«?lit  from  any  other  quarter.  In  ad- 
dition to  tlie  freight  being  low,  it  was  one  of  the  finest  ships  tliat  I 
have  ever  sailed  on— an  East  India  Company's  ship  of  nine  hundred 
tons'  burden,  on  her  first  voyage,  and  although,  when  captured,  she 
carried  between  decks  twenty  18  pounders,  and  six  O-pounders  on 
the  (iuartcr-deck,  ntul  had  on  board,  in  sailors  and  soldiers,  three 
Imndrcd  and  fifty  men,  she  was  taken  by  boarding  by  the  celebrated 
Surcouffe  in  the  Coufiance  privateer  of  twenty  guns  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men.  Nor  was  she  taken  by  surprise,  but  rather 
from  the  Englishman's  too  great  confidence  in  his  own  strength  and 
contempt  for  that  of  his  enemy.  Such  a  bold  and  successful  at- 
tempt has  not  perhaps  its  equal  in  the  pages  of  history.  Surcouffo 
relatos  with  humor  the  story  of  an  English  major-general  who  was 
a  passenger  on  board,  and  who,  after  the  ship  had  surrendered, 
came  up  from  below  (where  he  had  stowed  himself  with  the  lady 
passengers  during  the  action)  and  presented  his  sword  to  him;  but 
Surcouffe,  instead  of  receiving  it,  told  him  he  might  keep  it,  as  ho 
was  sure  it  was  in  harmless  hands;  nor  did  he  think  it  worth  while 
to  keep  him  a  prisoner,  but  let  him  go  with  the  other  passengers. 

"  But  what  h.18  this  to  do  with  my  affairs,  of  which  1  sat  down  to 
give  you  a  detail,  before  which,  however,  I  must  observe  that, 
among  many  instances  of  the  depravity,  or,  rather,  weakness,  of  this 
government,  in  suffering  the  privateers  to  send  in,  and  their  courts 
to  condemn,  neutrals  on  the  ftiost  frivolous  pretences,  the>  have  in 
no  instance  been  guilty  of  a  more  glaring  piece  of  villainy  than  in 
the  condemnation  of  the  brig  Traveller,  of  Boston,  and  her  cargo  of 
$110,(X)0  specie,  belonging  to  Mr.  Joseph  Lee,  Jr.,  and  the  Messrs. 
Williams,  of  Boston. 

"We  left  tlio  Mauritius  on  the  21st  of  March,  and,  after  one  of 
the  pleasantest  and  quickest  passages  I  ever  experienced,  arrived  at 
Christiansand,  Norway,  on  the  11th  instant— only  eighty-two  days. 
We  came  along  in  the  most  perfect  serenity,  having  heard  nothing 
of  any  disturbance  between  the  English  and  Danes,  and  were  pursu- 
ing our  course  for  Copenhagen  when  we  spoke  a  Danish  coasting 
vessel  a  few  miles  from  the  entrance  to  Christiansand,  and  were 
surprised  with  the  intelligence  that  war  had  been  declared,  and  that 
■we  could  not  proceed  farther  towards  Elsinorc  without  being  in- 
tercepted by  an  English  cruiser.    As  we  conceived  that  some  time 


i  . 


es 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


must  elapse  before  these  differences  could  be  adjusted,  and,  conse- 
quently, that  the  ship  must  necessarily  remain  where  she  was,  Mr. 
Shalcr  and  I  remained  but  two  days  and  then  took  passage  for  Ny- 
bourg,  a  pretty  town  on  the  island  of  Fycn,  where  we  arrived  the 
third  day  after  leaving  Norway,  From  here  we  crossed  to  Corseur, 
on  the  western  part  of  Zealand,  where  wo  slept,  and  next  morning 
took  post-horses  for  Copenhagen,  where  wo  arrived  at  night,  having 
travelled  through  a  most  delightful  country,  level,  and  everywhere 
in  the  highest  state  of  cultivation.  You  will  easily  conceive  how 
gratifying  to  the  sight  such  a  country  must  bo  to  one  who  has  been 
for  80  long  a  time  cither  in  a  country  of  barbarians,  where  the  ico 
remains  all  the  year  round,  or  in  the  torrid  zone,  where  vegetation 
is  almost  entirely  burned  up,  and  where  it  is  imprudent  to  go  out  of 
the  house  at  noonday. 

"  If  I  had  understood  the  language  I  should  almost  have  fancied 
myself  in  my  native  country ;  but  we  met  with  but  one  person  who 
could  speak  French,  and  none  that  could  speak  English,  on  the 
road,  so  that  we  were  forced  to  talk  by  signs,  except  to  the  man  who 
spoke  French.  Ho  was  a  well-dressed  old  gentleman  of  upward  of 
seventy,  who  made  up  for  all  deficiencies  in  chat.  His  curiosity  was 
as  much  excited  by  my  honest  negro  servant  as  was  that  of  any  of 
the  peasants  of  the  country,  and  he  even  asked  how  long  ho  had 
been  caught  and  tamed,  and  was  much  surprised  to  Icam  that  bo 
was  a  native  of  America  and  had  never  been  wild.  My  first  pursuit 
on  arriving  here  was  to  inquire  for  a  Salem  vessel,  and  I  soon  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  William  Orne,  Jr.,  from  whom  I  learned  that 
all  my  friends  were  alive  and  well  but  a  few  days  ago;  and  this,  you 
will  conceive,  was  a  great  relief  to  me,  for,  though  I  sought  for 
news,  I  dreaded  to  hear  what  it  might  be. 

'•  It  may  yet  be  fifteen  or  twenty  days  before  the  arrival  of  our 
ship  at  this  place,  so  that  it  is  very  uncertain  when  I  shall  be  ablo 
to  close  my  business  here ;  but,  as  I  have  for  the  concern  property 
worth  here  about  $60,000  net,  and  am  myself  the  largest  proprietor, 
and  as  this  property  is  now  safe,  I  think  you  cannot  want  for  money 
even  if  the  China  adventure  did  not  yield  so  much  as  I  calculated 
on  when  I  wrote  you  from  Calcutta.  I  iiope,  however,  it  gave 
you  a  supply,  besides  paying  my  debts;  but,  whether  it  did  or 
not,  or  whether  it  arrived  safe  or  was  lost,  money  you  «.  ast  have. 


AT  COPENHAGEN. 


69 


and  na  soon  as  I  can  conveniently  make  you  a  remittance  I  shall 
do  so. 

"I  have  given  you  a  long,  faithful,  and  perhaps  tedious  narrative 
of  my  proceedings  llius  far.  Of  my  next  movements  you  will  bo 
regularly  advised,  but  do  not  impute  it  to  any  want  of  oifcction  if 
they  should  not  be  towards  home." 

The  next  letter  from  Copcnlingcn,  a  few  days  later, 
gives  no  definite  account  of  his  plans,  and  thencefor- 
ward my  record  of  his  movements  must  be  made  up 
from  his  "Journal,"  as  no  more  letters  liave  been  pre- 
served, and  probably  none  were  written,  as  the  oppor- 
tunities for  transmission  from  the  ports  he  next  visited 
must  have  been  extremely  rare. 

"  Copenhagen,  July  5,  1801. 

"  Since  writing  you  of  my  arrival  here,  to  wear  off  the  time  while 
waiting  for  our  ship,  I  have  made  a  pleasant  journey  on  this  island, 
in  company  with  two  American  gentlemen.  Our  first  visit  was  to 
Boschild,  about  twenty  English  miles  from  hence.  In  the  cathedral 
of  this  place  are  buried  all  the  deceased  kings,  queens,  etc.,  of  Den- 
mark, as  far  back  as  seven  hundred  years. 

"From  thence  we  wcut  to  Fredericsburg,  a  very  ancient  and  su- 
perb palace,  where  we  saw  many  fine  pieces  of  sculpture,  paintings, 
etc.  Thence  to  the  cannonfoundery  at  Fredericswork,  belonging 
to  a  prince  of  Hesse.  After  being  shown  every  part  of  the  foun- 
dery  and  the  powder-works,  we  proceeded  to  Fiedenvert,  where  there 
is  a  beautiful  palace,  built  by  the  late  Juliana  Maria,  mother  to  the 
present  king,  into  every  apartment  of  which  we  were  shown,  and, 
consequently,  saw  all  the  fine  furniture  and  paintings.  From  thence 
"wc  went  to  Elsinore,  where  one  of  our  party  left  us,  and  crossed 
over  to  Sweden,  on  his  way  to  Russia,  and  the  other  returned  with 
me  to  Copenhagen,  after  an  absence  of  four  days,  much  improved, 
as  you  will  imagine.  For  my  own  part,  I  have  become  so  great  a 
connoisseur  in  pictures  that — as  you  will  perceive — I  have  been  able 
to  recollect  the  names  of  the  towns  and  palaces  in  which  they  are  to 
be  seen.    I  often  think,  on  my  various  excursions,  of  the  booby  muk- 


70 


VOYAGFS  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


ing  the  lofir  of  Europe,  ns  described  in  the  Spectator.  Pray  don't 
be  disappointed  if  I  should  be  able  to  give  you  no  better  account  of 
the  manners,  customs,  government,  laws,  public  edifices,  and  rare 
curiosities  which  I  have  seen. 

"The  morning  after  my  return  from  this  excursion  I  was  agree- 
ably surprised  at  meeting  my  old  friend.  Captain  Silabee.  The  time 
elapsed  since  I  have  seen  him  seems  to  have  made  very  little  altera- 
tion in  his  appearance,  and  ho  lieems  the  sumo  good  fellow  with 
whom  I  made  my  first  voyages.  I  do  not  think  Fortune  could  have 
bestowed  her  favors  on  a  more  deserving  object.  lie  urges  me  much 
\o  return  to  America,  and  offers  me  a  passage  in  his  ship.  This  I 
would  gladly  accept,  but  I  have  long  had  a  plan  in  view,  which  I 
um  very  anxioui  to  carry  into  execution,  and  which  will  depend 
entirely  upon  the  arrival  of  our  ship  f:nm  Norway.  If  she  should 
not  arrive  within  the  present  month,  I  shall  return  to  America  im- 
mediately on  settling  my  affairs  here.  If  she  tthould  arrive  within 
the  month,  it  is  probabi'^  I  shuU  make  another  trip  around  the  world, 
of  which  you  shall  be  advised. 

"I  regret,  and  am  surprised,  that  you  should  have  been  ud 
easy  ut  not  hearing  from  me  fron?  tI:o  Mauritius.  The  difficulty,  as 
well  as  danger,  of  forwarding  letters  while  on  such  a  siK'culative 
luiventurc,  where  the  property  was  entirely  masked,  ought  to  have 
occurred  to  you,  and  your  knowledge  of  ray  extreme  caution  and 
dislike  of  running  into  danger  would,  I  thought,  have  authorized 
nte  to  have  undertaken  more  hazardous  expeditious  without  alarm- 
ing you. " 


The  plan  to  whicli  ho  alludes  was  ono  which  he  and 
Mr.  Shaler  had  discussed  together  on  their  passage  from 
the  Isle  of  France,  of  a  trading  voyage  to  the  west  coast 
of  South  America,  and  probably  round  the  world,  and 
had  so  far  agreed  upon  that  its  execution  was  dependent 
solely  upon  their  meeting  with  a  suitable  vessel  for  their 
purpose. 

The  cargo  of  coffee  they  had  brought  from  the  Isle  of 
France  was  sold  at  a  handsome  prolit,  and  he  received, 


PURCHASE  OF  BRIG  ♦'LELIA  BYRD." 


11 


also,  very  satisfactory  accounts  of  tlio  proceeds  of  that 
portion  of  liis  property  jh  had  been  shipped  to  Amer- 
ica, so  that  he  not  only  felt  free  from  anxiety  on  his 
own  account,  but  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
he  had  fully  provided  for  h'..  father's  wants,  and  had 
ministered  bountifully  to  the  comfort  of  other  relatives 
to  whom  ho  was  bound  by  ties  of  gratitude  and  affec- 
tion. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  procure  a  suitable  vessel  at 
Copenhagen,  they  went  to  Hamburg,  where  they  ac- 
complished their  object  by  the  purchase  of  the  brig 
Zelia  f^yrdy  of  Portsmouth,  Va.,  a  stanch,  fast-sailing 
vessel  A  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  tons,  with  good 
capacity  for  carrying,  and  very  comfortable  accommo- 
dations. 

While  Mr.  Shaler  went  to  Bordeaux  to  attend  to 
some  business  of  his  own  my  father  remained  in  Ham- 
burg to  supervise  the  copi)efing  and  repairing  of  tlie 
vessel,  which  was  accomplished,  and  the  cargo  shipped, 
by  the  time  of  his  return,  at  the  end  of  September.  As 
their  partnership  was,  in  all  respects,  one  of  perfect 
equality,  the  nominal  position  of  captain — which  it  was 
necessary,  for  form's  sake,  that  one  of  them  should  as- 
sume— was  decided  in  favor  of  Mr.  Shaler  by  tossing  a 
copper,  and  my  father,  therefore,  appeared  on  the  ship's 
papers  as  supercargo. 

Before  they  were  ready  for  sea,  however,  the  objects 
which  had  formed  the  chief  incentive  to  the  prosecution 
of  the  voyago  were  defeated  by  the  sudden  and  unex- 
pected termination  of  the  war  between  France  and  Kng- 
land  by  the  Treaty  of  Amiens.    The  commerce  of  Spain 


72 


VOYAGES  OF   A   MERCnANT  NAVIGATOR. 


with  her  colonics  would  now  be  renewed,  and,  by  the 
regular  introduction  of  the  manufactures  of  Europe,  the 
hitherto  exorbitant  prices  on  which  they  had  counted  as 
a  compensation  for  their  efforts  would  bo  at  once  re- 
duced. It  was  obvious,  therefore,  that  a  voyage  to  Chili 
and  Peru  could  now  be  made  only  under  the  njost  dis- 
couraging auspices,  as  the  same  cause  which  operated 
to  enable  the  inhabitants  to  supply  themselves  with 
manufactures  would  also  greatly  increase  the  difficulty 
and  danger  which  foreigners  must  encounter  in  endeav- 
oring to  elude  the  proverbial  jealousy  of  Spain  of  out- 
side intrusion  on  her  colonial  commerce.  The  business, 
liowever,  had  advanced  so  far  that  a  resale  of  the  vessel 
and  cargo  could  not  be  effected  except  at  great  loss,  and 
they  could  not  reconcile  themselves  to  the  abandonment 
of  the  voyage. 

Meantime,  during  their  residence  in  Hamburg,  they 
had  become  acquainted  with  the  Count  de  Ilouissillon, 
a  young  Polish  nobleman,  who  had  fought  for  the  lib- 
erty of  his  country  as  an  aide-de-camp  of  Kosciusko,  and, 
being  one  of  the  proscribed,  was  living  in  Hamburg  on 
very  slender  means,  and  without  occupation.  lie  was 
the  descendant  of  an  ancient  noble  family.  He  pos- 
sessed a  powerful  intellect,  and  gave  evidence  that  groat 
care  liad  been  exercised  in  its  cultivation.  His  acquire- 
ments in  nmthematics,  in  astronomy,  music,  and  draw- 
ing were  very  respectable,  and  there  was  scarcely  a 
European  language  with  which  he  was  not  familiar. 
For  these  attainments  ho  was  not  less  indebted  to  his 
fine  natural  powers  than  to  an  untiring  industry,  which 
was  so  habitual  that  he  seemed  to  grudge  a  monicnt's 


-w  Wf1 


THE  COUNT  DE  ROUISSILLON. 


t$ 


tiino  tlmt  was  passed  without  adding  eomcthing  to  his 
stock  of  knowledge. 

Perceiving  tlio  very  great  addition  to  their  own  en- 
joyment whicli  would  be  derived  from  the  companion- 
ship of  so  agreeable  a  young  man — for  tliey  were  all 
under  thirty — they  invited  him  to  accompany  them, 
simply  as  a  travelling  companion.  Uo  had  never  been 
at  sea,  and  the  prospect  of  a  rambling  voyage  round  the 
world  to  a  man  like  him,  who  had  been  reared  in  the 
interior  of  a  continent,  offered  such  attractions  that  he 
accepted  the  invitation  without  hesitation  ai.d  with 
warm  expressions  of  gratification  and  delight. 

Looking  back  over  the  lapse  of  eighty  years,  and  re- 
calling the  circumstances  of  the  period  and  the  character 
and  position  of  the  young  men  by  whom  this  enterprise 
was  undertaken,  the  history  of  the  voyage  on  which 
they  were  now  embarking  seems  more  like  the  concep- 
tion of  a  poet's  imagination  than  the  simple  narrative 
of  a  commercial  enterprise. 

It  is  difficult,  at  this  day,  when  we  not  only  have  full 
and  minute  descriptions  of  evory  port  and  country,  but 
can  hold  instnnt  intercourse  witli  the  most  remote  re- 
gions of  the  globe,  to  realize  the  sense  of  mysterious 
uncertainty  with  which  those  portions  were  then  re- 
garded which  were  out  of  the  frequented  channels  of 
commerce,  and  especially  those  that  were  guarded  by 
such  jealous  watchfulness  of  foreign  flags  as  was  then 
considered  an  essential  element  of  national  polity.  The 
starting  forth  upon  a  trading  voyage  of  such  a  character 
as  this  had,  therefore,  all  the  charm  of  uncertainty  which 
comprises  the  chief  attraction  of  a  tale  of  adventure,  and 


wmmummw, 


74 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


the  personal  character  of  the  cliief  actors  was  in  keeping 
with  that  of  the  enterprise,  which  would  neither  liavo 
been  conceived  nor  attempted  by  men  of  everyday  mould. 

My  father's  course,  from  the  time  of  his  starting  out 
from  Havre,  four  years  previous,  had  been  marked  by 
such  sagacity  in  the  conception  and  such  energy  and 
fearlessness  in  the  execution  of  the  enterprises  he  had 
undertaken  as  indicate  a  rare  combination  of  mental 
and  physical  attainments.  Their  exercise  had  secured 
the  object  at  which  they  aimed,  and  had  relieved  him 
from  the  painful  anxiety  ho  had  felt,  and  which  his  let- 
ters so  often  expressed,  lest  his  father  should  bo  in 
want. 

He  had  provided  for  him,  and  gained  for  himself  a 
fortune  which  would  have  been  ample  for  the  gratifica- 
tion of  his  simple  tastes  had  he  abandoned  the  further 
prosecution  of  such  exciting  adventure  as  he  had  here- 
tofore pursued.  But  a  life  of  quiet  case  and  luxury 
was  inconsistent  with  tlie  demands  of  such  a  spirit  as 
his,  and  the  union  of  his  own  fortune  with  that  of  ono 
so  fully  in  sympathy  with  him  us  his  friend  S'aaler 
served,  doubtless,  to  stimulate  both  of  them  to  tho 
achievement  of  enterprises  of  greater  pith  and  moment 
than  either  would  have  attempted  alone. 

The  fact  of  their  ^  'nning  the  friendsliip  of  so  accom- 
plished a  man  as  tho  Count  do  liouissillon,  the  mutual 
appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  intellectual  enjoyment 
of  each  other's  society  which  was  manifested  by  tho  in- 
vitation and  its  acceptance,  and  tho  subsequent  relations 
of  harmony  and  eonlidencc  which  were  maintained  be- 
tween the  three  throughout  the  extended  period  of  try- 


CFiRACTER  OF  VOYAGE. 


m 


ing  experiences  to  which  they  were  subjected,  afford  ev- 
idences of  such  characteristics  in  each  as  can  bnt  excite 
surprise  and  admiration,  and  servo  to  lift  tlio  wliole  en- 
terprise above  the  domain  of  a  mere  trading  voyage, 
and  impart  to  it  a  halo  of  attractive  interest  which  may 
be  justly  termed  poetic. 


A 


A 


\}'^  ^< 


I  ^~> 


M^.r 


^ 


CHAPTER  Y. 

1808, 1804. 


Voyage  of  the  Lelia  Byrd. — Adventures  in  Chili  nud  on  tlic  Coast 
of  Cttlifornift.— Thence  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  China,  and 
thence  in  the  Alert  to  Boston. 

TiiiB  voyage  of  the  Ldla  Byrd  occupied  the  ensuing 
two  and  a  lialf  years.  If  any  letters  were  received  from 
liirn  during  its  prosecntion  they  have  not  been  pre- 
served, and  tlio  probability  is  that  no  opportunity  was 
offered  liim  for  communicating  with  liis  friends.  Ilis 
own  account  of  it,  as  given  in  his  narrative,  is  so  com- 
plete, and  comprises  details  of  such  interest,  that  if  I 
were  to  attempt  its  repetition  I  should  transfer  the  whole 
of  it  to  these  pages.  But  I  prefer  to  touch  only  upon 
the  leading  incidents  as  given  in  his  daily  journal,  and 
preserve  the  consecutive  order  of  events  in  the  history 
of  his  life. 

While  yet  in  the  river  Elbe,  and  lying  at  anchor  at 
GlUckstadt,  they  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  de- 
struction by  a  storm  which  caused  very  great  damage 
to  the  shipping.  One  cable  parted,  and  the  pilot  who 
was  on  board  was  very  urgent  to  cut  away  the  masts 
to  prevent  being  driven  on  the  pier  heads ;  but  to  this 
they  would  not  consent,  and  were  finally  held  by  the 
bower  anchor's  catching  in  the  one  they  had  lost,  and  es- 
caped with  the  loss  of  the  stern  bout  torn  from  the  davits. 


^if 


FROM  CUXHAVEN  TO  RIO  JANEIRO. 


11 


They  sailed  from  Cuxliaven  on  tho  8th  of  November, 
1801,  in  company  with  a  dozen  sliips  and  brigs,  and 
soon  had  an  opportunity  of  discovering  tho  superiority 
of  their  vessel,  as  at  tho  end  of  four  hours  only  two  of 
tho  fleet  were  visible  astern  from  their  decks. 

Touching  at  tho  Canary  Islands  for  fresh  provisions, 
they  continued  their  course  across  tho  Atlantic,  and  ar- 
rived at  Kio  Janeiro,  January  2, 1802 : 

"Next  morning  wc  were  visited  with  much  formality  by  the  mu- 
nicipal autliorities,  accompanied  by  an  interpreter,  to  ascertain  tbo 
condition  of  our  vcHsel,  and  know  our  wants,  ic.  order  lliat,  from  tlieir 
report  to  superior  authority,  it  might  be  decided  liow  long  wc  should 
bo  permitted  to  remain  in  port. 

"  Aware  of  the  jealousy  of  the  government  towards  all  foreigners, 
and  their  practice  of  rigidly  enforcing  the  law  for  the  exclusion  of 
any  other  flag  than  their  own  except  in  casch  of  emergency,  we  pre- 
sumed the  time  gnmted  us  would  bo  very  limited,  and  were,  there- 
fore, very  well  satisfied  on  being  informed  that  the  viceroy  permitted 
us  to  roMaiu  eight  days.  This  was  a»nplo  time  to  fill  our  water- 
casks,  to  procure  a  supply  of  stock,  vegetables,  and  fruit,  and  to 
ascertain  if  it  were  possible  to  dispose  of  our  cargo  to  any  of  tho 
traders  who  were  here  from  the  river  Platte." 

Tiiey  were  allowed  to  go  on  shore  only  when  accom- 
panied by  a  soldier:  but  us  there  was  no  limit  fixed  to 
their  rambles,  tliey  visit.  1  all  tho  moRt  attractive  point*, 
Kid  spent  one  c ^eninff  at  t 'se  tl*  litre,  where  tho  patience 
of  the  audience  w.^  ed  jj  Xaq  delay  of  tho  viceroy, 
as  the  curtain  <  ul  not  riw  till  his  arrival.  When  ho 
at  lengtli  appeared  tho  whole  audience  rose  to  greet 
hiiny  and  performances  began  with  a  five-act  comedy 
and  concluded  with  a  ballet. 

The  most  interesting  incident  which  occurred  during 


IS 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOa 


their  stay,  however,  was  a  visit  paid  by  Mr.  Rouissillon 
and  my  father  to  tlie  Convent  of  the  Benedictines.  See- 
ing one  of  tlie  monks,  as  they  were  looking  at  the  out- 
side of  the  building,  Rouissillon  addressed  him  in  Italian, 
and  finding  he  could  thus  communicate  with  him  asked 
permission  to  examine  the  interior,  which  was  courte- 
ously granted,  and  they  were  escorted  to  a  gorgeously 
furnished  chapel,  and  thence  to  the  dining-room  and 
other  apartmenta.  They  at  length  asked  to  see  the  li- 
brary, which  seemed  to  excite  surprise  as  being  an  un- 
usual request;  but  they  were  taken  without  hesitation 
to  a  pleasant  room,  the  windows  of  which  overlooked 
the  bay,  where  they  found  a  collection  of  ten  or  twelve 
thousand  volumes,  mostly  in  French,  Italian,  and  Latin, 
which  they  examined  with  interest.  The  monk  who  ac- 
companied them  was  much  astonished  with  the  eager- 
ness of  their  examination,  and  with  Jiouissillon's  famil- 
iarity with  many  of  the  works,  and  remarked  upon  it  to 
one  of  the  brethren  as  a  mortifying  contrast  to  the  ig- 
norance and  indifference  of  their  own  countrymen. 

Finding  no  opportunity  to  dispose  of  their  cargo,  they 
took  their  departure  on  the  10th  of  January,  came  in 
sight  cf  Cape  Horn  on  the  Tth  of  February,  and  for  a 
week  after  were  contending  with  the  boisterous  and 
tempestuous  weather  usual  in  that  region,  and  arrived 
at  Valparaiso  on  the  24th  of  February. 

"  On  entering  the  Bay  of  Valparaiso  we  were  boarded  by  a  naval 
officer  from  a  gtmrdacosta,  who  desired  us  not  to  cast  anchor  till  the 
captain  had  presented  himself  to  the  governor  and  obtained  permis- 
sion. ConBequently,  while  Mr.  Shaler  accompanied  this  officer  to 
the  governor,  wc  lay  off  and  on  in  the  bay.    More  than  an  hour 


AT  VALPARAISO. 


79 


elapsed  before  his  return  with  pci-mission  to  anchor,  and  to  remain 
till  a  reply  could  be  received  from  the  captaingeneml  at  Santiago 
to  our  request  for  leave  to  supply  our  wants,  for  which  a  despatch 
was  to  be  forwarded  immediately. 

"Wo  were  surprised  to  find  no  less  than  four  American  vessels 
lying  here,  and  no  less  mortified  than  surprised,  and  in  some  dr^co 
alarmed  for  our  own  safety,  to  find  them  all  under  arrest  on  t  affer- 
ent pretexts. 

"Yet  while  wc  violated  no  law  and  required  no  other  than  tlio 
privileges  secured  to  us  by  treaty  wo  could  not  believe  that  wo  should 
be  molested. 

"On  the  third  day  after  the  messenger  had  been  despatched  to 
the  captain  general  a  reply  was  received  from  him,  the  purport  of 
which  was.  that  our  passage  had  been  so  good  that  we  could  not  bo 
in  want  of  provisions,  if  we  had  laid  in  such  a  supply  as  wo  ought 
to  have  done  before  leaving  Europe. 

"But  if  it  were  otherwise,  and  our  wants  were  as  urgent  as  wo 
represented,  the  mode  by  which  wc  proposed  paying  for  them,  by  a 
bill  on  Paris,  was  inadmissible ;  and,  therefore,  that  it  was  his  excel- 
lency's order  that  wc  should  leave  the  port  at  the  expiration  of 
twenty-four  hours  after  receiving  this  notice. 

"On  remonstrating  with  the  governor  and  representing  to  him 
the  inhumanity  of  driving  us  to  sea  wlnlo  in  possession  of  so  small 
n  supply  of  the  necessaries  of  life,  ho  very  reluctantly  consented  to 
our  remaining  over  another  post,  and  even  promised  to  make  a  more 
favorable  report  on  the  urgency  of  our  necessities  than  he  had  done. 
But  as  the  order  to  leave  was  reiterated,  we  doubted  his  having  per- 
formed his  promise,  and,  Uicrefore,  determined  to  write  directly  to 
the  captain-general. 

"In  conformity  with  this  decision  Mr.  Shaler  addressed  a  letter 
in  Spanish  to  the  captain-general,  expressing  his  surprise  at  the  or- 
der for  our  departure  without  affording  us  the  supplies  which  wero 
indispensable,  and  for  which  provision  had  been  made  by  treaty, 
and  '  presuming  that  his  excellency's  intentions  had  been  miscon- 
ceived by  the  governor,  he  had  ventured  to  disobey  the  order,  and 
remain  in  port  till  the  reception  of  his  excellency's  reply.' 

"A  prompt  and  very  polite  answer  was  received,  granting  us  per- 
mission to  supply  ourselves  with  everything  wo  desired;  and,  what 


M 


i 
I 


80 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


vraa  very  extraordinary,  giving  us  further  pcrmiasion,  which  had  not 
been  atikcd,  of  selling  so  mnch  of  tlu;  cargo  as  would  bo  sufHcicDt  to 
pay  for  the  supplies.  After  which  lie  desired  we  would  leave  the 
port  inamcdiatcly,  and  added  that  if  we  entered  any  other  port  wo 
should  bo  treated  as  contrabandists." 

The  above  is  quoted  from  tlio  published  narrative. 
I  give  the  account  of  subsequent  events  as  described 
in  his  journal,  written  at  the  time  : 

"This  Indulgence  on  the  part  of  his  excellency  relieved  us  from 
our  embarrassments;  and  on  Saturday,  27th  of  March,  having  our 
provisions  all  engaged  and  part  on  board,  wo  sent  ashore  in  the 
morning  twenty-eight  pieces  of  platillas  to  pay  for  them,  and  tliey 
were  immediately  sold  by  the  governor  at  $18  apiece  and  the  money 
deposited  with  the  commandant.  Our  intention  was  to  take  off  the 
rest  of  our  provisions  in  the  afternoon,  settle  our  accounts  the  next 
day,  and  then  proceed  to  sea.  But  the  same  afternoon  began  the 
affair  of  the  ship  Ilazard  of  Providence,  Captain  Rowan,  as  follows: 

"The  governor  had  demanded  that  Captain  Rowan  should  deliver 
up  five  hundred  muskets,  which  it  appeared  were  on  board  the  ship, 
and  which,  as  thi^y  were  laden  in  Holland  and  bound  to  the  north- 
west coast  of  America,  ho  supposed  did  not  come  under  Art.  10  of 
the  treaty,  and,  therefore,  determined  not  to  comply  with  the  de- 
mand. Of  this  determination  tlie  aide-de-cauip  of  Ihc  governor  was 
informed  several  days  before  in  my  presence. 

"It  is  evident  that  the  governor  expected  opposition,  as  ho  ap- 
proached the  ship  in  a  launch  with  about  twenty  soldiers,  and  see- 
ing that  Captain  Rowan  was  prepared  to  make  resistance  ho  lay  by 
at  a  little  distance,  and  hailed  to  know  if  ho  might  como  alongside 
with  safety;  to  which  Captain  Rowan  replied  that  ho  should  be  hap- 
py to  be  honored  with  his  company,  but  that  ho  would  not  permit 
tho  soldiers  to  come  on  board.  The  governor  then  went  on  board 
and  demanded  the  arms,  which  Captain  Rowan  refused,  at  the  same 
time  hoisting  his  colors  and  observing  that  they  were  his  protection 
and  were  not  to  be  insulted. 

"This  firmness  no  doubt  aBtonishcd  the  governor,  and  he  soon 
wont  ashore,  apparently  much  mortified,  as  he  immediately  ordered 


p 


DIFHCULTY  WITH  TUE  GOVERNOR. 


61 


every  American  morchnnt  thrn  on  shore  to  bo  shut  up  in  the  costlo; 
hoisU'il  the  colors  at  the  fort,  und  ordered  ii  largo  nicrcliant  ship  then 
in  the  road  (which  mounted  eighteen  heavy  cannon  between  tlecks) 
to  Iioist  the  pennant,  bring  her  broadside  to  bear  on  the  Hazard  (by 
getting  A  spring  on  his  cable),  and  order  him  to  surrender  on  pain 
of  being  sunk.  To  these  threats  (.'aptain  Itowan  replied  that  they 
might  flro  if  they  pleased,  and  nailed  his  colors  to  the  must,  and,  as 
the  governor  did  not  choose  to  put  his  threats  into  execution,  things 
remained  in  ttatu  quo. 

"  Bhalcr,  Kouissillon,  and  myself  being  on  shore,  were  arrentcd  utid 
sent  to  the  castle,  and  were  thus  prevt  Mted  from  putting  to  sea  as 
wo  had  intended.  In  the  evening  we  vrote  to  the  governor  request- 
ing to  bo  provided  with  something  to  eat  and  willi  beds.  Our  K  t- 
ter  was  returned  unopened,  and  it  was  not  till  twelve  o'clock  the 
nc.\  'lay,  and  after  passing  a  most  uncomfortable  night,  annoyed  by 
innum<'nible  fleas,  that  any  attention  was  paid  to  us.  "We  were  then 
informed  by  a  verbal  message  from  his  excellency  that  we  were  at 
lil>erty  to  go  on  board  our  ship.  Wo  were  unwilling  to  r.ccept  this 
liberty  until  an  apWog  should  bo  made  for  the  olTcnco,  and  we 
finally  agrce^l  that  Shalei,  eing  th<  master  of  the  vessel,  should  re- 
main in  prison.  We  acconlingly  scut  him  a  bed  ind  provisions, 
and  then  asked  permission  of  the  j.  ivi-i  lor  to  send  an  express  to  the 
captain-general,  which  he  refused,  asking  at  the  same  time  why  wo 
did  not  go  to  sea;  to  \n  ich  we  replied  that  w<  wonted  satisfaction 
for  being  unjustly  imprisoned  and  ill-treated,  ami  that  our  captain 
did  not  intend  to  leave  the  prison  till  he  was  informed  vfhy  ho  was 
put  in.  On  Monday  I  was  passing  the  government  house,  v  hen  the 
governor  called  me  and  asked  if  I  was  not  second  in  conimand,  and 
on  my  replyinn-  \u  the  affirmative,  he  ordered  me  to  go  on  board  and 
go  to  sea.  'ered  that  I  could  not  go  without  my  captain.    IIo 

then  told  mr  ':•  ould  seize  the  brig;  to  which  I  replied  that  we  were 
already  prise  '  which  he  denied.  I  then  again  asked  permission 
to  send  a  courier  to  the  capital  and  was  again  refused.  Although 
the  ostensible  reason  of  our  refusing  to  go  to  sea  was  to  obtain  sat- 
isfaction for  the  outrage  to  which  we  had  been  subjected,  the  real 
cause  of  our  delay  was  the  hope  that  we  might  be  of  service  to 
Rowan. 

'  In  the  evening  the  governor's  courier  returned  from  the  capital, 

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82 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


bringing  a  letter  from  the  captain-general  to  Captain  Rowan,  desir- 
ing liim  to  deliver  up  the  arms  making  part  of  his  cargo,  and  make 
a  second  declaration  respecting  their  lading.  This  order,  from  the 
commander-in-chief,  was  complied  with  without  hesitation,  first  by 
delivering  the  arms,  and,  second,  by  referring  the  governor  to  his 
first  declaration;  at  the  same  time  sending  (by  the  supercargo)  the 
certificate,  signed  by  the  controller  of  customs  at  Amsterdam,  of 
their  being  laden  there.  Captain  Rowan  had  now  no  idea  of  mak- 
ing further  resistance,  but  intended  pursuing  the  business  legally; 
nor  did  he  consider  the  governor's  advice  to  him  to  come  on  shore 
in  the  light  of  an  order. 

.  "Rouissillon  was  with  the  governor  till  past  seven  o'clock  Wed- 
nesday evening,  and  was  surprised  to  hear  him  say  that  if  Captain 
R.  did  not  come  on  shore  voluntarily  he  intended  to  use  force  to 
compel  him. 

"Rouissillon  replied  that  force  would  be  unnecessary,  as  Captain 
Rowan  thought  no  longer  of  making  any  resistance;  and  when  he 
came  off  we  went  together  on  board  the  Hazard,  and,  on  informing 
Rowan  of  the  governor's  intention,  he  said  at  olice  he  would  go  on 
shore  in  the  morning,  as  it  was  too  late  to  go  on  shore  that  night. 
But  precisely  at  eight  o'clock  next  morning  (which  was  two  hours 
before  Americans  were  permitted  to  go  on  shore)  a  band  of  upwards 
of  two  hundred  armed  brigands,  composed  of  the  crews  of  Spanish 
vessels,  boarded  the  Hazard,  and  took  her,  from  an  unarmed  crew 
of  twenty-three  men,  who  supposed  themselves  in  safety. 

"And  this  was  done  by  order  of  the  governor,  who  stood  on 
shore  opposite  the  vessel,  and  was  a  witness  to  the  horrid  scene  of 
assassination  and  rapine  that  follcwed.  Captain  Rowan's  life  was 
saved  by  the  humanity  of  the  captain  of  a  Spanish  brig,  who  got 
into  the  cabin  in  advance  of  the  rabble — as  he  had  not  time  to  save 
himself,  as  the  other  officers  had  done,  by  retreating  to  the  lazaretto. 
The  plunder  which  ensued  for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  and  the 
following  night,  was  such  as  to  lighten  the  ship  nearly  a  foot.  Nor 
were  the  officers  of  rank  backward  in  taking  part  in  the  pillage;  and 
the  custom-house  guards,  far  from  preventing,  were  as  eager  as  the 
rest  in  the  work  of  robbery. 

"  With  indignation  I  went  immediately  after  to  the  governor,  to 
again  demand  permission  to  send  an  express  to  Santiago,  when  he 


'5' 


CORRESPONDENCE  WI'^H  THE  CAPTAIN-GENERAL.       83 

menacingly  demanded  if  we  wanted  to  be  served  in  the  same 
manner;  and,  also,  why  we  did  not  go  to  sea.  To  the  first  part 
of  his  demand  I  replied  that  he  might  do  as  he  pleased  ^  and,  to 
the  second,  that  we  would  not  go  before  communicating  with  the 
captain-general.  Finding  his  thieats  of  no  avail,  he  at  length  re- 
luctantly yielded  to  our  request;  and  our  letter  demanding  justice 
from  the  captain-general  was  ready  by  two  p.  m.,  at  which  time 
(having  engaged  a  man  to  go,  for  the  consideration  of  eleven  dol- 
lars), we  applied  at  the  post-house  for  horses,  and  were  informed 
that  the  king  did  not  permit  foreigners  to  send  expresses.  Enraged 
at  this  refusal,  I  went  again  to  the  governor,  who  appeared  sur- 
prised at  it,  and  immediately  gave  the  man  orders  to  go;  and  I  gave 
him  the  letter  in  the  governor's  presence. 

"  This  business  being  finished,  the  governor  observed  that  he  was 
very  sorry  for  what  had  happened,  and  would  endeavor  to  purchase 
the  clothes  belonging  to  the  oflScers  of  the  Hazard  who  had  been 
plundered.  Before  leaving  him  I  requested,  if  he  decided  to  seize 
the  brig,  that  he  would  send  only  an  officer  and  two  or  three  men, 
as  we  should  make  no  resistance,  and  there  were  many  valuable 
books  and  instruments  on  board  which  might  possibly  be  useful  to 
them." 

"On  Tuesday,  April  Cth,  an  answer  was  received  from  the  cap- 
tain-general, who  (after  making  known  his  unjust  suspicions  relative! 
to  the  object  of  our  voyage,  and  affirming  that  we  had  no  right  to 
navigate  in  these  seas),  wound  up  by  assuring  us  that,  after  hearing 
the  governor's  report,  we  should  have  the  most  complete  satisfaction. 
In  consequence  of  this  assurance  I  went,  the  next  morning,  to  the 
governor  to  let  him  know  that  Mr.  Shaler  intended  going  on  board 
his  vessel,  but  to  this  he  objected  till  he  heard  again  from  head- 
quarters. An  answer  was  sent  to  his  excellency's  letter  on  the 
8th  by  regular  post,  refuting  his  various  charges  against  us;  and 
on  the  13th  Captain  Shaler  left  the  castle,  by  request  of  the  governor. 

"  The  morning  following,  as  soon  as  we  landed, wo  were  informed 
by  an  officer  that  it  was  the  governor's  order  that  we  should  prepare 
for  sea  as  soon  as  possible.  Our  expenses  having  been  considerably 
increased  by  our  unexpected  detention,  I  applied  to  the  goveruor 
for  leave  to  sell  a  few  more  pieces  of  linen  to  repay  them;  but  this 
ho  said  he  could  not  grant;  and,  at  the  same  time,  asked  me  why 


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84 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


I  ii 


the  captain  did  not  come  to  see  him,  observing  that,  after  having 
quarrelled,  it  was  proper  to  be  friends  again ;  that  he  was  sensible 
that  in  talking  the  part  of  Rowan  we  had  done  no  more  than  our 
duty,  and  that  he  was  desirous  that  a  reconciliation  should  take 
place.  On  being  informed  of  this,  Shaler  and  Rouissillon  imme- 
diately went  to  call  upon  him,  and  it  appeared  as  if  he  could  not 
sufficiently  express  his  joy  at  being  again  friends.  He  gave  us 
permission  to  dispose  of  six  more  pieces  of  platillas  to  pay  our 
additfonal  expenses;  and,  on  Monday,  19th,  being  ready  for  sea,  he 
told  us  we  were  at  liberty  to  go  when  we  pleased,  but  he  should  tako 
it  as  a  particular  favor  if  we  would  wait  twenty-four  hours  after  the 
sailing  of  a  large  ship,  then  on  the  point  of  departure  for  Lima,  and 
which,  it  seems,  some  malicious  person  had  suggested  that  it  was 
our  intention  to  capture.  To  this  we  assented;  but,  before  the 
expiration  of  the  time,  a  new  cause  of  trouble  had  arisen. 

"  An  Irish  sailor,  who  had  deserted  from  us,  had  declared  that  we 
had  seventeen  barrels  on  board  which  were  very  heavy,  and  which 
he  supposed  to  be  filled  with  dollars;  and  that  we  had  made  consid- 
erable sales  at  Rio  Janeiro,  and  had  received  payment  in  gold, 
which  was  then  on  board.  On  Thursday  morning,  22d,  the  gov- 
ernor sent  for  Captain  Shaler,  requesting  him  to  bring  his  papers; 
and  finding,  on  examination,  that  there  was  no  Spanish  passport, 
asked  the  reason.  Shaler  replied  that  it  was  not  requisite,  and 
requested  him,  if  he  had  any  intention  of  making  further  trouble, 
to  make  known  his  complaints  that  we  might  take  the  necessaiy 
steps  to  remove  the  cause.  He  assured  Captain  S.  that  he  did  not 
intend  troubling  him  any  further,  repeated  the  request  that  we 
would  wait  till  the  ship  had  sailed  for  Lima,  and  wrote  our  clear- 
ance on  the  back  of  our  sea-letter,  which,  with  the  other  papers,  he 
returned  to  Captain  Shaler.  Friday  morning  Captain  Parga,  who 
commanded  two  privateers  then  in  port,  made  a  signal,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  we  observed  them  loading  several  cannon  on  the  side 
that  bore  upon  us;  and  soon  after,  as  we  were  sitting  down  to 
breakfast,  a  lieutenant  of  the  Britannia  came  on  board,  and  desired 
Captain  Shaler  and  his  supercargo  to  go  on  board  that  vessel  with 
their  papers.  A  request  of  this  singular  nature  from  the  captain  of 
a  private  armed  chip,  while  we  were  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Governor  of  Valparaiso,  and  while  two  king's  ships  were  lying 


FURTHER  DIFHCULTIES. 


85 


there,  was  treated  with  the  contempt  it  merited.  We  returned  for 
answer  that  when  we  had  breakfasted  we  would  go  ashore  and  see 
the  governor.  But,  seeing  them  immediately  manning  and  arming 
their  boats  to  board  us,  and  being  desirous  of  avoiding  such  another 
honid  scene  as  we  had  witnessed  on  board  the  Ilasard,  Captain 
Shaler  very  prudently  went  on  board  in  our  boat,  and,  shortly  after, 
sent  for  me.  Captain  Parga  then  went  with  Shaler  on  board  the 
brig;  sent  our  sailors  on  board  the  privateer,  where  they  were  put  in 
irons,  and  immediately  began  the  search  for  the  kegs  of  specie, 
which  they  found  precisely  in  the  place  described  by  the  deserter, 
when  they  desisted  from  further  search ;  and,  on  opening  the  kegs, 
discovered  that  they  contained  quicksilver,  which  Captain  Parga 
acknowledged  we  had  a  perfect  right  to  carry,  and  said  he  should 
report  to  the  governor  (by  whose  orders  he  had  acted),  and  had  no 
doubt  our  men  would  be  at  once  restored,  and  permission  given  us 
to  sail.  In  the  evening  Captain  Shaler  was  sent  for,  and  taken  on 
board  the  Britannia,  where  he  was  questioned  by  Captain  Parga 
(who  showed  him  the  order  of  the  governor,  by  which  he  was  act- 
ing) relative  to  the  owners  of  the  brig,  the  object  of  the  voyage,  etc. 
lie  requested  that  part  of  the  papers  might  be  left  with  him,  and 
again  observed  that  our  men  would  be  sent  on  board  in  the  morning, 
and  we  should  have  permission  to  sail.  Of  this,  however,  we  felt 
so  much  doubt  that  Captain  Shaler  went  next  morning  to  demand 
categorically  whether  they  meant  to  stop  us  or  not;  and  the  answer 
was  not  only  positive  that  they  did  mean  to  detain  us,  but  was  given 
with  such  vulgar  and  abusive  language  as  might  naturally  be  ex- 
pected from  the  captain  of  a  Spanish  privateer.  Shortly  after  he 
sent  his  men  on  board,  and  took  up  on  deck  ten  kegs  of  the  quick- 
silver, in  doing  which  they  burst  two,  on6  of  which  was  wholly,  and 
the  other  partly,  lost. 

"We  immediately  despatched  another  courier  to  Santiago,  com- 
plaining to  the  captain-general  of  this  new  act  of  injustice,  and 
asking  permission  to  come  to  the  capital  to  settle  the  business.  A 
reply  was  received  on  the  28th,  wherein  his  excellency  observed 
that  our  business  could  be  soon  finished  at  Valparaiso  by  answering 
satisfactorily  the  following  questions,  viz. : 

"Why  was  the  quicksilver  hidden?  To  whom  does  it  belong? 
and.  What  port  is  it  destined  for?  _ 


4 


■I 


.fJ 


86 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


"In  reply  to  these  questions  Mr.  Shaler  deposed  before  tJ.o  gov- 
ernor and  a  notary,  first,  that  it  was  not  hidden ;  second,  that  it 
belonged  to  the  owners  of  the  cargo;  and,  third,  that  its  destination 
was — as  the  vessel's  had  been  reported  to  be — round  the  world;  and 
to  this  deposition  Shaler  solemnly  made  oath  on  a  volume  of  Shake- 
speare, presented  for  the  purpose  by  the  governor,  a  fitting  climax  to 
this  solemn  farce. 

"On  Thursday,  29th,  Captain  Rowan  was  released  from  confine- 
ment, and  requested  by  the  governor  to  go  on  board  and  take  charge 
of  his  ship  again;  but  this  he  refused  to  do  till  he  was  indemnified 
for  the  losses  he  had  sustained.  He  was,  consequently,  confined 
again  in  the  castle,  but  his  officers  and  men,  who  had  likewise  re- 
fused, were  forced  to  go  by  soldiers  sent  by  the  governor. 

"On  Saturday  evening.  May  1st,  this  illustrious  representative  of 
the  Spanish  crown,  whose  name  is  Don  Antonio  Francisco  Garcia 
Carrasco,  was  relieved  from  further  performance  of  duty  by  the 
arrival,  from  Santiago,  of  the  true  proprietary  of  the  government, 
with  his  family,  whose  return  had  been  hastened  by  the  confusion 
and  mischief  which  had  been  wrought  in  Valparaiso  by  the  igno- 
rance and  stupidity  of  the  governor  pro  tern. 

"On  Monday  we  visited  him,  and  were  received  with  such  dis- 
tinguished marks  of  good- will  as  made  us  regret  his  previous  ab- 
sence, particularly  as  he  assured  us  that  had  he  been  present  we 
should  have  found  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  permission  to  go  to  the 
capital. 

"On  Tuesday  orders  came  from  the  captain-general  for  the  quick- 
silver to  be  restored  to  us,  and  that  we  should  proceed  to  sea  without 
delay;  and,  as  we  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  risk  further  loss  by 
entering  into  a  process  for  damages,  we  wrote  to  his  excellency  that 
we  should  apply  to  our  own  government  for  indemnification  for  the 
detention  and  loss  to  which  we  had  been  subjected.  The  day  fol- 
lowing we  received  an  application  for  the  purchase  of  the  quick- 
silver from  the  commandant  of  the  custom-house  guards,  who 
proposed  to  bring  the  money  himself  and  take  it  away  in  a  clan- 
destine manner,  but  as  we  supposed  that  the  whole  scheme  was  a 
snare  laid  to  take  us  in,  we  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. 
Thursday  morning  we  unmoored  and  hauled  outside  the  shipping, 
and  in  the  afternoon  took  on  shore  five  pieces  of  linen,  with  the 


GALLIPAGOS  ISLANDS  AND  SAN  BLAS. 


87 


produce  of  which  we  paid  our  various  additional  expenses;  and,  at 
four  P.M.,  Laving  taken  leave  of  our  acquaintances,  came  on  board, 
and  immediately  put  to  sea,  happy  in  being  at  last  clear  of  a  port 
where,  for  two  and  a  half  months,  we  had  experienced  nothing  but 
crosses  and  disappointments." 

The  notoriety  they  had  attained  by  these  protracted 
quarrels  with  an  ignorant,  conceited,  and  pusillanimous 
official,  rendered  it  injudicious  to  attempt  to  enter  any 
other  port  of  Chili  or  Peru,  and  they  accordingly  deter- 
mined to  steer  for  the  coast  of  Mexico,  stopping  on  the 
way  for  recreation,  rest,  and  refreshment  at  the  Galli- 
pagos  Islands,  where  they  arrived  and  ancliored  on  the 
30th  of  May,  and  spent  a  delightful  week  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  such  freedom  of  action  in  the  midst  of  the  wild 
scenes  of  natural  beauty  as  they  could  the  better  appre- 
ciate from  the  contrast  to  their  recent  experiences.  Fish 
and  turtle  were  so  abundant  that  they  not  only  feasted 
upon  them  during  their  stay,  but  laid  up  good  store  for 
future  nse.  They  took  long  rambles  on  shore,  and  saw 
immense  numbers  of  guanos  of  various  sizes  and  colors, 
but  were  not  tempted  to  try  them  as  food,  though  they 
are  said  to  be  very  delicate.  They  traversed  various 
parts  of  Albemarle  Island,  and  camped  out  one  night 
in  search  of  water,  but  found  none. 

On  the  8tli  of  June  they  sailed  for  San  Bias,  and  in  a 
few  days  sighted  the  coast  near  Acapulco,  and  from  that 
time  kept  the  land  in  sight  every  day  till  they  arrived 
at  San  Bias,  on  the  11th  of  July. 

Here  again  they  were  destined  to  suffer  from  the 
petty  jealousy  of  Spanish  officials,  of  which  they  had 
quite  as  absurd  an  exhibition  as  at  Yalparaiso,  though 


fii 


\h 


ti 


m 


t 


Ill 


ts  pi 


BS 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOB. 


very  different  in  its  cliaraeter.  They  found  only  two 
or  three  subordinates  at  San  Bias,  as  all  the  chief  digni- 
taries were  at  Tipec,  a  town  some  twenty  leagues  in  the 
interior,  to  which  they  were  accustomed  to  retreat  dur- 
ing the  summer  from  the  proverbially  unhealthy  climate 
of  San  Bias.  They  were  mcjt  with  every  demonstration 
of  friendship,  and  a  courier  was  at  once  despatched  to 
Tipec  with  notice  of  their  arrival  and  a  request  for  a 
passport  to  Tipec  for  Rouissillon  that  ho  might  explain 
their  objects  and  wishes.  Immediately  on  receipt  of  this 
notice  the  commissary  came  down  to  San  Bias  and  con- 
firmed the  cordial  reception  they  had  met  from  the  sub- 
ordinates by  acceding  at  once  to  their  requests.  He 
engaged  to  supply  everything  that  was  wanted;  and 
learning  that  they  had  on  board  some  boxes  of  tin-plate, 
which  was  very  much  wanted,  agreed  to  take  them  at  a 
very  great  advance  on  the  cost. 

Rouissillon  accompanied  him  on  his  return  to  Tipec, 
and  a  few  days  after  wrote  them  from  there  that  the 
governor,  whom  he  represented  as  a  vain,  passionate 
man,  liad  taken  offence  at  the  commissary's  having  pre- 
sumed to  make  any  arrangement  with  them  before  con- 
sulting him ;  had  refused  to  confirm  the  agreement,  and 
decided  that  whatever  supplies  they  purchased  must  be 
paid  for  by  a  draft  on  the  American  minister  at  Madrid. 
Here,  then,  were  these  two  great  men  by  the  ears  at 
once,  and  the  community  took  part  in  the  quarrel,  the 
native  population  adhering  to  the  comniissar}^  while  the 
old  Spaniards  upheld  the  governor.  The  former,  whose 
appointment  emanated  from  the  same  source  as  that  of 
the  latter,  and  whose  line  of  duty  was  distinct  and  iude- 


SAIL  FOR  THE  THREE  MARIAS. 


89 


pendent,  was  exceedingly  piqued  and  mortified  at  the 
position  in  which  he  was  placed,  and  was  determined 
not  to  submit  to  it.  The  governor,  who  could  not  brook 
opposition  to  his  will,  was  incapable  of  concealing  liis 
wrath.  The  quarrel  becam  3  the  absorbing  topic  of  the 
village  of  Tipec,  and  nev<jr  before  was  there  such  a 
tempest  in  a  teapot. 

A  week  passed,  however,  before  the  parties  who  Iiad 
been  the  innocent  cause  of  all  this  disturbance  were 
subjected  to  any  inconvenience  in  consequence  of  it, 
and  meantime  they  had  profited  by  the  favor  with  which 
their  application  had  first  been  received  to  secure  such 
supplies  as  they  required,  and  also  to  procure  a  new 
topmast  to  replace  one  they  had  lost  in  a  squall.  But 
the  governor's  rancor  was  so  excited  that  lie  sent  a  per- 
emptory order,  without  even  making  any  reference  to 
the  manner  of  payment  for  the  supplies,  that  they  should 
immediately  leave  the  port,  with  a  threat  of  being  forced 
to  do  so  by  the  gunboats  in  case  of  disobedience. 

Rouissillon  meantime  had  been  arranging  for  a  jour- 
ney to  Mexico,  which  city  he  was  very  desirous  of  vis- 
iting, and  where  he  was  encouraged  to  believe  he  could 
get  permission  from  the  viceroy  to  dispose  of  the  whole 
or  part  of  the  cargo.  On  receiving  orders  to  depart, 
therefore,  they  sent  word  to  Rouissillon  that  they  would 
go  to  the  Three  Marias  Islands,  lying  about  sixty  miles 
west  of  San  Bias,  and  there  waitlfill  they  got  word  from 
him  relative  to  the  success  of  his  mission,  which  he  was 
to  send  them  by  boat  from  San  Bias. 

They  accordingly  obeyed  the  governor's  order  with- 
out waiting  for  its  enforcement,  and  next  morning  au- 


'^ 


00 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


chored  in  a  beautiful  sandy  bay,  where  they  were  shel- 
tered from  the  southeast  winds,  wliich  prevail  at  this 
season  and  are  often  violent.  Here  again  they  enjoyed 
the  pleasure  of  uncontrolled  action,  and  improved  the 
opportunity  for  overhauling  the  rigging,  repairing  and 
brushing  up  the  vessel,  and  laying  in  good  store  of  fuel. 
They  also  indulged  in  making  excursions  on  shore  for 
rest  and  recreation,  and  allowed  the  crew  to  do  the 
same,  one  half  at  a  time. 

But  week  after  week  rolled  by  till  nearly  three 
months  had  elapsed  without  news  of  Rouissillon,  and  at 
length  they  determined  to  take  tlio  risk  of  returning  to 
San  Bias  to  learn,  if  possible,  what  had  been  his  fate. 
Approaching  the  port  with  caution,  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  14:th  of  October,  they  lay  by  all  night  in  sight  of  the 
town,  and  next  morning  saw  a  canoe  approaching,  pad- 
dled by  Indians,  who  soon  delivered  to  them  the  long- 
expected  letter  from  Rouissillon,  the  contents  of  which 
were  of  a  surprising  and  very  encouraging  nature.  It 
was  dated  at  Guadalaxara,  where  he  had  been  treated 
with  great  kindness  and  hospitality  by  many  of  the 
most  respectable  inhabitants,  and  had  received  a  very 
polite  letter  from  the  viceroy,  with  a  passport  for  Mex- 
ico, and  a  permission  to  sell  at  San  Bias  a  sufficient  por- 
tion of  the  cargo  to  pay  for  the  supplies  they  needed. 
He  also  hoped  to  obtain  permission  to  sell  the  whole 
cargo,  and  to  return  t«»San  Bias  in  a  week  or  two. 

The  viceroy,  moreover,  in  consequence  of  the  repre- 
sentations of  Rouissillon  and  of  many  of  the  most  re- 
spectable inhabitants  of  Tipec,  had  reprimanded  the 
governor  for  his  rude  and  uncivil  treatment  of  them, 


a 


■TT 


ROUISSILLON  DEPARTS  FOR  MEXICO. 


01 


and  tlio  mortification  he  experienced  at  being  thus  out- 
generalled  by  the  commissary,  acting  on  a  previously 
debilitated  constitution,  had  brought  on  a  fever,  of 
which  he  died. 

They  immediately  sent  a  reply  to  the  letter,  and  al- 
though they  could  now  enter  the  port  of  San  Bias  with- 
out apprehension,  yet,  as  they  would  have  had  to  submit 
to  the  encumbrance  of  a  guard  stationed  on  board  the 
vessel,  they  preferred  returning  to  the  islands.  After 
passing  another  week  there,  they  came  again  to  San 
Bias,  and  were  received  with  such  civility  as  plainly  in- 
dicated the  change  which  had  taken  place  at  headquar- 
ters. 

The  news  from  Rouissillon  was  not  as  encouraging  as  . 
his  first  letter  had  led  them  to  expect.  A  second  letter, 
however,  contained  the  gratifying  intelligence  that,  by 
a  judicious  application  of  a  small  douceur^  ho  had  ob- 
tained a  permit  to  dispose  of  goods  to  the  amount  of 
$10,000.  He  returned  to  San  Bias  on  the  10th  of  De- 
cember, having  spent  two  weeks,  on  the  way  from  Mex- 
ico, negotiating  with  purchasers. 

The  goods  were  landed  and  sales  began  at  once,  but 
the  demand  was  slow,  and  it  was  finally  arranged  that  a 
portion  should  be  left  with  Rouissillon  to  be  taken  by 
him  to  Mexico,  from  whence  he  would  make  his  way  to 
the  United  States,  and  account  to  them  the  following 
year  on  meeting  them  there. 

Their  departure  from  San  Bias  was  delayed  by  the 
arrival  from  California  of  a  quantity  of  sea-otter  skins, 
which  they  succeeded  in  purchasing,  and  at  length  put 
to  sea,  leaving  Kouissillon  with  goods  to  the  amount  of 


H! 


lit 


ill: 

m 


\- 


1 '! 


r 


02 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR 


about  $3000  prime  cost,  wliicli  jt  was  supposed  would 
bring  at  least  three  times  that  amount  in  Mexico. 

The  mutual  feelings  of  attachment  which  had  grown 
up  between  them  in  the  course  of  their  varied  experi- 
ences made  the  parting  a  painful  one  on  both  sides,  and 
they  looked  forward  with  anticipations  of  pleasure  to 
the  time  of  their  meeting  in  the  United  States,  of  which 
Rouissillon  declared  his  intention  of  becoming  a  citizen. 
But  that  anticipation  was  never  realized.  On  their  ar- 
rival in  the  United  States  the  following  year  they  heard 
of  his  death  in  Mexico,  not  long  after  his  arrival  there, 
and  the  means  of  communication  with  that  country 
were  then  so  uncertain  tl  at  they  never  were  able  to  as- 
certain the  particulars  or  to  get  any  account  of  the  prop- 
erty in  his  charge. 

Having  received  information  of  a  quantity  of  soa- 
otter  skins  at  San  Diego,  California,  tliey  next  steered 
for  that  port,  being  very  desirous  to  secure  an  article  of 
merchandise  which  is  always  in  demand  in  China.  Their 
previous  experience  of  the  characteristics  of  Spanish  of- 
ficials had  prepared  them  to  expect  a  display  of  fuss 
and  feathers,  with  a  substratum  of  avaricious  duplicity 
and  cowardice.  But  all  previous  exhibitions  of  these 
traits  were  surpassed  by  that  of  Don  Manuel  Rodriguez, 
the  commandant  of  San  Diego. 

They  arrived  ?  that  port  and  anchored  about  a  milo 
inside  the  battery  which  guarded  the  entrance  on  the 
17th  of  March,  1803.  The  next  morning  the  comman- 
dant made  his  appearance  on  the  shore  with  an  escort  of 
twelve  dragoons,  and,  hailing  the  brig,  requested  that  a 
boat  might  be  sent  for  him.    This  being  done  he  crowd- 


i 


AT  SAN  DIEGO. 


03 


ed  his  whole  retiiuio  into  the  boat,  and  on  reaching  tlie 
brig  waited  till  they  had  climbed  over  the  side  and  ar- 
ranged themselves  in  two  rows,  with  swords  drawn  and 
hats  in  hand,  when  he  followed,  and  passed  between 
them  to  the  cabin.  After  the  usual  inquiries  he  desired 
the  officer  in  command  of  the  escort  to  make  a  memo- 
randum of  the  articles  they  required ;  counted  the  men, 
and,  finding  only  fifteen,  expressed  astonishmciit  at  tneir 
undertaking  so  long  and  dangerous  a  voyage  with  so 
few  hands,  and  gavo  them  permission  to  go  on  shore 
near  where  they  lay,  but  forbade  their  visiting  the  town, 
which  was  about  three  miles  distant.  He  then  took 
leave,  with  the  same  ceremony  as  on  arrival,  but  left 
five  of  his  escort  on  board  to  see,  as  he  said,  that  no 
contraband  trade  was  carried  on. 

In  the  afternoon  they  made  an  excursion  on  shore, 
and,  having  walked  down  to  the  battery  without  meet- 
ing any  one  to  oppose  their  entrance,  they  availed  them- 
selves of  the  opportunity  to  make  a  cursory  examination 
of  its  strength,  and  found  it  to  consist  of  eight  brass 
9-poiind  guns,  well-mounted  and  in  good  order,  with 
a  plentiful  supply  of  ball. 

Returning  on  board  before  sunset,  they  made  ac- 
quaintance with  the  sergeant  of  the  guard,  who  proved 
to  be  an  intelligent  young  fellow,  who  told  them  that, 
only  a  few  days  previous,  the  ship  Alexander^  of  Bos- 
ton, had  been  there ;  that  her  captain  (Brown)  had  suc- 
ceeded in  purchasing  several  hundred  sea-otter  skins 
from  different  individuals ;  that  the  commandant,  with- 
out making  any  previous  demand  for  their  delivery,  had 
then  boarded  the  vessel  with  an  armed  force,  and  car- 


94 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


ried  oS.  all  the  skins  they  could  iind ;  and  these  skins 
were  still  in  the  possession  of  the  commandant.  They 
made  an  unsuccessful  effort  to  purchase  them,  but  were 
offered  quite  a  number  of  skins  by  other  parties. 

Tlie  subsequent  proceedings  are  described  at  length 
in  the  published  "  Narrative."  The  following  account 
of  them  is  from  the  manuscript  journal : 

</^  "On  the  2l8t  of  March  the  commaDdant  paid  us  another  visit,  and 
\  y^  we  then  paid  him  for  our  supplies,  and,  as  we  intended  going  to  sea 

/  in  the  morning,  he,  on  parting,  wished  us  a  successful  voyage.  In 
the  evening  we  sent  the  small  boat  ashore  and  purchased  twenty- 
five  skins  of  the  soldiers,  which  we  brought  on  board  between  eight 
and  nine  p.m.  Having  agreed  for  another  lot,  which  were  to  be 
brought  down  to  the  shore  abreast  the  vessel,  we  sent  the  long-boat 
for  them,  with  the  first  oflScer  and  two  men.  They  did  not  return; 
and  next  morning,  seeing  the  boat  hauled  up  and  our  men,  appar- 
ently guarded  by  soldiers,  1  went  ashore  with  four  hands,  armed 
with  pistols,  and  brought  them  off,  together  with  the  long-boat. 
They  told  us  they  were  taken  by  the  commandant  in  person,  who 
had,  no  doubt,  sent  the  man  who  offered  us  the  skins,  and  then  lay 
in  wait  to  seize  the  men,  who  had  been  bound  and  lying  on  the 
ground  all  night.  Immediately  on  coming  on  board  we  disarmed 
the  guard— a  sergeant  and  four  men — hoisted  in  our  boats,  and  got 
under  way,  having  a  fair  wind  to  go  out,  though  light.  Before  wo 
got  within  gun-shot  of  the  fort  they  fired  a  shot  ahead  of  us.  We 
had  previously  loaded  all  our  guns,  and  brought  them  all  on  the 
v-~  starboard  side.  As  the  tide  was  running  in  strong,  we  were  not 
abreast  the  fort — which  we  passed  within  musket-shot— till  half  an 
hour  after  receiving  their  first  shot,  all  which  time  they  were  play- 
ing away  upon  us;  but  as  soon  as  we  were  abreast  the  fort  we 
opened  upon  them,  and  in  tea  minutes  silenced  their  battery  and 
drove  everybody  out  of  it.  They  fired  only  two  guns  after  we  be- 
gan, and  only  six  of  their  shot  counted,  one  of  which  went  through 
between  wind  and  water;  the  others  cut  the  rigging  and  sails.  As 
soon  as  we  were  cle.ir  we  landed  the  guard,  who  had  been  iu  great 
tribulation  lest  we  should  carry  them  off." 


ARRIVAL  AT  ST.  QUINTINS. 


05 


I  have  previously  mentioned  that  they  had  inspected 
the  battery,  and  found  it  to  contain  eight  9-pound  guns. 
Their  own  armament  was  six  3-pounders,  one  of  which 
was  unserviceable. 

Mr.  Richard  H.  Dana,  in  reviewing  ray  father's  book 
in  the  North  American^  quotes  at  length  his  account  of 
this  affair,  and  adds : 

"We  take  this  opportunity  to  assure  the  author  that,  after  the 
lapse  of  more  than  thirty  years,  the  story  was  yet  current  in  San 
Diego  and  the  neighboring  ports  and  missions." 

I  remember,  also,  that,  not  long  after  the  transfer  of 
California  to  the  United  States,  my  father  received  a  let- 
ter from  Commodore  Biddle,  in  the  course  of  which  he 
referred  to  the  "Battle  of  San  Diego"  as  giving  him  a 
claim  to  the  governorship  of  the  newly  acquired  terri- 
tory, since  it  was  won  many  years  in  advance  of  tlie 
achievements  of  Fremont  and  other  heroes  of  the  Mex- 
ican war. 

Proceeding  southward,  they  next  anchored  in  the 
Bay  of  St.  Quintins,  where  they  found  Captain  Brown, 
of  tlie  ship  Alexander^  who  gave  them  such  an  Jiccount 
of  the  barbarous  treatment  he  had  met  with  at  San  Bias 
as  served  to  confirm  their  conviction  of  the  wisdom  of 
their  own  policy. 

A  few  days  after  their  arrival,  and  after  the  depart- 
ure of  Captain  Brown  for  the  Northwest  Coast,  they  re- 
ceived a  visit  from  a  jolly  company  of  padres  of  different 
miss'ons,  accompanied  by  the  commandant  of  San  Yin- 
cente,  a  mission  about  sixty  miles  north  of  St.  Quintins. 
The  news  of  the  affair  at  San  Diego  had  preceded  their 


96 


VOYAGES  OF  A.  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


I' 
i 


arrival,  but,  far  from  exciting  prejudice,  it  seemed  only 
to  make  them  indignant  with  the  commandant,  and 
their  wish  to  make  amends  for  his  treacherous  and  cow- 
ardly behavior,  and  to  express  their  grateful  sense  of 
the  magnanimity  of  the  Americans  in  their  treatment 
of  the  guard  was  manifested  not  alone  by  words,  but 
by  efforts,  in  which  they  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other 
in  hospitable  attentions  and  attempts  to  provide  for  ev- 
ery want.  They  encamped  upon  the  shore,  and  were  so 
urgent  to  prolong  the  enjoyment  they  seemed  to  derive 
from  the  companionship  of  intelligent  men  that  they 
persuaded  their  visitors  to  remain  another  week  after 
they  were  fully  ready  for  sea. 

The  next  and  last  place  they  visited  on  the  California 
coast  was  San  Borgia,  where  they  met  with  Padre  Ma- 
riano Apolonario,  a  man  whose  purity,  excellence,  and 
benevolence  of  character  were  such  as  to  lift  him  above 
all  considerations  of  sect,  and  entitle  him  to  rank  with 
such  Christians  as  F^ndlon.  My  father's  account  of  his 
visit  here,  as  given  in  his  journal,  is  as  follows: 

"  Padre  Mariano  had  been  some  days  expecting  us,  and,  as  ho 
could  not  live  on  board  ship  on  account  of  the  motion,  we  pitched 
a  tent  for  him  on  shore  opposite  the  vessel.  We  had  intended  re- 
maining only  two  or  three  days,  on  account  of  being  short  of  water, 
but  he  removed  the  difficulty  by  having  it  brought  on  mules  a  dis- 
tance of  six  or  seven  miles;  and  when,  at  the  end  of  a  week,  we 
were  preparing  to  put  to  sea,  the  good  man  insisted  upon  our  re- 
maining another  week,  offering  to  furnish  provisions,  water,  and 
everything  that  the  mission  afforded;  nor  could  we  resist  his  solici- 
tations, being  convinced  by  the  great  pains  he  took  to  make  our  stay 
agreeable  that  he  was  much  pleased  with  our  company.  In  addi- 
tion to  various  little  presents  of  wine,  dried  fruits,  etc.,  he  gave  us 
a  stallion,  and  marc  with  foal,  which  we  had  previously  tried  in  vain 


FIRST  HORSES  IN  THE  SANDWICH  ISLANDS. 


97 


to  purchase,  to  take  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  These  were  an  acqui- 
sition we  had  almost  despaired  of  obtaining.  We  took  them  on 
board  on  the  20th,  and,  having  prest^ited  him  with  various  articles 
of  which  he  stood  in  need,  we  took  leave  of  the  good  padre,  who 
promised  to  say  a  mass  for  our  preservation  and  happiness  ;  and,  if 
any  man's  prayers  reach  Heaven,  I  doubt  not  his  do,  for  he  was  as 
devout  as  he  was  hospitable  and  liberal;  and,  indeed,  such  disin- 
terested friendship  as  we  experienced  from  him  I  have  rarely,  if  ever, 
met  with." 

Touching  at  Cape  St.  Lucas,  wliere  tliey  purchased 
"another  pretty  mare  with  foal" — for  which  they  paid 
in  goods  which  cost  in  Europe  one  and  a  half  dollars — 
they  took  their  departure  on  the  30th  May,  and  arrived 
at  Karakaroa  Bay,  Sandwich  Islands,  on  the  21st  of  June. 

They  found  it  was  the  season  of  a  periodical  taboo, 
during  which  no  canoes  were  allowed  to  stir ;  but  the 
next  day  John  Young  came  on  board,  and  told  them 
that  the  king  was  at  Mowee. 

Young  was  very  desirous  of  having  one  of  the  horses, 
and,  thinking  that  the  probability  of  their  increase  would 
be  better  secured  by  leaving  them  in  different  places, 
they  next  day  moved  to  Tooagah  Bay,  near  Young's 
residence,  and  landed  the  mare,  of  which  he  took  charge. 
This  was  the  first  horse  ever  seen  in  Owyhee,  and  nat- 
urally excited  great  astonishment  among  the  natives. 

From  here  they  went  to  Mowee,  and  were  frst 
boarded  by  Isaac  Davis,  who,  with  John  Young,  com- 
prised, at  that  time,  the  European  population  of  the  isl- 
ands. 

Soon  after  a  large  double  canoe  came  off,  from  which 
a  powerfully-built,  athletic  man,  nearly  naked,  came  on 
board,  and  was  introduced  by  Davis  as  Tamaahmaah, 

5 


^s 


t  ^i 


1 


^ 


98 


VOIAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


the  great  king.  His  reception  of  them  was  not  eucli  as 
they  had  anticipated,  nor  could  they  account  for  his  ap- 
parent coolness  and  lack  of  interest,  except  on  the  sup- 
position that  it  was  mere  affectation.  He  took  only  a 
careless  l«)k  at  the  horses,  and  returned  to  the  shore 
without  expressing  any  curiosity  about  them.  His  sub- 
jects, however,  were  not  restrained  by  any  such  desire 
to  appear  unconcerned.  The  news  of  the  arrival  of  the 
wonderful  animals  spread  rapidly,  the  decks  were  crowd- 
ed with  visitors,  and  next  day,  when  they  were  landed, 
a  great  multitude  had  assembled,  evidently  with  no  def- 
inite conception  of  any  use  that  could  be  made  of  them. 
As  might  be  expected  from  people  who  had  never  seen 
a  larger  animal  than  a  pig,  they  were  at  first  afraid  to 
approach  them,  and  their  amazement  reached  its  climax 
when  eue  of  the  sailors  mounted  the  back  of  one  of 
them,  and  galloped  up  and  down  upon  the  beach.  They 
were  greatly  alarmed,  at  first,  for  the  safety  of  the  rider, 
but  when  they  saw  how  completely  he  controlled  the 
animal,  and  how  submissively  and  quietly  the  latter  ex- 
erted his  powers  in  obedience  to  his  will,  they  seemed 
to  have  a  dawning  conception  of  the  value  of  such  a 
possession,  and  rent  the  air  with  shouts  of  admiration. 

The  king,  however,  could  not  be  betrayed  into  any 
expression  of  wonder  or  surprise,  and,  although  he  ex- 
pressed his  thanks  when  told  they  were  intended  as  a 
present  to  himself,  he  only  remarked  that  he  could  not 
perceive  that  their  ability  to  carry  a  man  quickly  from 
one  place  to  another  would  be  a  sufficient  compensation 
for  the  great  amount  of  food  they  would  necessarily  re- 
quire. 


RETURN  TO  BOSTON  VIA  CANTON. 


99 


,This  want  of  appreciation  of  tho  value  of  the  present, 
"which  they  had  taken  so  much  pains  to  procure,  was 
naturally  a  disappointment  to  the  donors,  who  could 
only  hope  that  time  and  experience  would  serve  to  con- 
vince the  stolid  chieftain  that  an  important  element  in 
the  work  of  civilization  was  comprised  in  their  possible 
services. 

From  the  Sandwich  Islands  they  took  their  course  for 
China,  and  arrived  at  Wampoa  on  the  29th  of  August, 
1803,  and  on  going  up  to  Canton  found  letters  from 
home,  by  which  ray  father  received  the  first  intelligence 
that  his  father  had  died  at  Salem  on  the  8th  October, 
1801 — nearly  two  years  previous. 

At  Canton,  after  disposing  of  the  sea-otter  skins  at  a 
handsome  profit,  they  decided  to  separate.  Mr.  Shaler 
took  charge  of  the  Lelia  Byrd,  and  returned  to  the 
California  coast  with  a  cargo  which  they  had  had  an  op- 
portunity to  purchase  on  ver}"  favorable  terms,  and  my 
father  took  passage  for  Boston  on  the  ship  Alert,  Cap- 
tain Ebbets,  with  a  valuable  investment  of  silks  as 
freight.  They  left  Canton  on  the  4th  of  January,  1804, 
stopped  a  few  days  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  on 
the  13th  of  May  arrived  at  Boston,  where  (in  the  conclud- 
ing words  of  his  journal), "  for  the  first  time  in  seven 
and  a  half  long  years  I  meet  with  friends." 

During  this  period  he  had  twice  circumnavigated  the 
globe ;  had  performed  three  of  the  most  daring  and 
venturesome  voyages  on  record,  and  brought  them  to  a 
successful  issue,  not  less  by  his  skill  and  knowledge  of 
practical  navigation  than  by  the  sagacity  and  judicious 
management  of  tho  property  of  which  he  had  charge, 


I  : 


i 


i\ 


•'r 


' 


r\ 


100 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


belonging  to  himself-  and  others.  He  had  started  out 
for  himself  from  Havre,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  with 
a  capital  of  $2000,  and  now  at  thirty  returned  from  his 
wanderings  with  a  fortune  of  $70,000,  thirty-five  times 
the  original  capital  in  seven  years,  and  all  wrought  out 
in  legitimate  lines  of  commercial  enterprise  by  genuine 
hard  work  of  both  head  and  hands. 

Let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  within  the  easy  memory 
of  many  yet  living  the  number  whose  fortunes  exceeded 
$50,000  was  suflSciently  rare  to  entitle  them  to  rank  as 
men  of  wealth,  and  the  possessor  of  $100,000  was  re- 
garded as  having  attained  a  much  higher  position  on 
Fortune's  wheel  than  that  we  now  give  to  the  owner 
of  a  million. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1804-1807. 

Marriage  and  Settlement  at  Lancaster,  Massachusetts. — Forced  to 
Resume  Navigation.— Voyage  of  the  Aspasia^  and  its  Ruinous 
Termination. 

Believing  himself  to  be  now  possessed  of  ample 
means  for  the  support  of  a  family  without  further  ne- 
cessity of  effort  to  increase  his  fortune,  he  was  mar- 
ried, on  the  12th  of  October,  1804,  to  his  cousin,  Dorcas 
Cleveland  Hiller,  second  child  of  Joseph  and  Margaret 
(Cleveland)  Hiller.  Her  father  was  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  Salem,  and  was  the  first  collector  of  the  ports 
of  Salem  and  Beverly,  appointed  by  President  Washing- 
ton.    Her  mother  was  the  sister  of  my  father's  father. 

In  company  with  his  brother  William,  ho  soon  after 
purchased  a  very  pleasant  estate  in  Lancaster,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  devoted  himself  to  the  rational  enjoyment 
of  such  tastes  as  he  now  felt  himself  at  liberty  to  in- 
dulge. These  were  simple  and  unostentatious.  He  had 
always  a  great  love  of  reading,  and  he  had,  in  the  course 
of  his  travels,  secured  such  a  collection  of  books  as  to 
constitute  a  library  which,  for  that  day,  was  no  less  re- 
markable for  the  number  of  volumes  it  contained  than 
for  the  good  taste  indicated  in  their  selection. 

It  would  be  natural  to  suppose  that  one  who  since 
coming  upon  the  stage  of  active  life  had  been  so  con- 


' 


'I 


M 


fe     K   .    .    * 


I    fii  .- 
il'' 

I  r 

i  ■  ii! 


102 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


f 


fitantly  engaged  in  such  exciting  scenes  of  adventure 
would  soon  tire  of  the  monotony  and  tameness  of  such 
a  life  as  that  of  a  New  England  country-town  at  that 
period. 

The  history  of  his  life  at  Lancaster,  however,  proved 
that  his  enjoyment  of  life  was  in  nowise  dependent  upon 
such  stimulants,  and  that  the  resources  afforded  by  his 
own  tastes  and  acquirements,  the  interests  of  domestic 
and  social  life,  and  the  opportunities  for  usefulness  in 
the  promotion  of  objects  of  benevolence  and  improve- 
ment which  constantly  presented  themselves,  and  in 
which  he  had  the  ^^nll  sym.pathy  and  aid  of  my  mother, 
were  all-sufficient  for  his  happiness,  and  he  regarded  it 
as  the  greatest  misfortune  when  he  was  compelled  again 
to  go  to  sea. 

Had  Mr.  Shaler  been  as  fortunate  in  the  management 
of  the  joint  property  of  which  he  had  taken  charge  as 
be  and  my  father  had  been  while  acting  together,  the 
necessity  might  not  have  arisen  for  attempting  a  resto- 
ration of  their  fortunes.  But  not  only  was  his  second 
voyage  in  the  Lelia  Byrd  a  very  unfortunate  one  in  it- 
self, but  was  almost  entirely  unsuccessful  in  one  of  its 
important  objects ;  the  collection  of  debts  due  from  va- 
rious missions  who  had  bought  goods  of  them  on  credit. 
Out  of  twenty  priests  who  had  been  thus  accommodated, 
only  four  proved  by  their  actions  that  honesty  was  any 
part  of  their  religion. 

The  death  of  Rouissillon,  in  Mexico,  extinguished  all 
hope  of  returns  from  the  property  in  his  care,  and  these 
combined  with  other  losses  so  reduced  the  amount  of 
their  possessions  as  to  incite  them  to  new  efforts  for 


PURCHASE  OF  THE  "ASPASIA;' 


103 


their  retrieval.  Fortunately  there  was  no  loss  whatever 
of  the  contidenee  they  felt  in  each  other,  and  no  hesita- 
tion in  again  uniting  in  the  accomplishment  of  new  en- 
terprises. 

The  war  succeeding  the  short  peace  of  Amienfl  had 
again  closed  the  ports  of  the  Spanish  colonies  to  their 
own  ships,  and  they  could  only  receive  their  supplies  of 
European  manufactures  under  cover  of  a  foreign  flag. 

Another  voyage  to  Chili  and  Peru,  therefore,  seemed 
to  offer  a  prospect  of  profit  proportional  to  the  risk,  and 
by  combining  their  resources  they  fitted  out  an  expedi- 
tion for  those  countries,  of  which  my  father  was  to  take 
charge. 

In  June,  1806,  they  bought  in  New  York  a  Baltimore 
clipper  schooner  called  the  Aspasia,  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy  tons,  and  loaded  her  with  such  a  cargo  as  expe- 
rience had  taught  them  was  suited  to  the  wants  of  the 
people  to  whom  it  was  to  be  offered.  Vessel  and  cargo 
were  owned  equally  by  Mr.  Shaler  and  my  father,  and 
absorbed  nearly  the  whole  fortune  of  each,  only  a  por- 
tion of  which  was  covered  by  insurance  at  a  high  pre- 
mium. 

I  have  no  journal  of  this  voyage,  and  rely  for  ray  ac- 
count of  it  on  his  published  narrative,  and  still  more  on 
his  letters  to  my  mother,  from  which  I  shall  make  liberal 
quotations. 

The  earliest  allusion  to  the  subject  which  I  find  un- 
der his  own  hand  is  in  a  letter  to  my  mother  at  Lancas- 
ter, dated  Boston,  17th  of  June,  1806,  in  which  he  says : 

"I  found  letters  here  from  Shaler  announcing  the  purchase  of  a 
vessel,  and  urging  jne  to  come  on  to  New  York  as  speedily  as  possi- 


1 


i  > 


104 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


ble.  I  have,  therefore,  finislied  ail  ..ly  arrangements  here,  embarked 
my  baggage  ou  a  vessel  for  New  York  which  sails  to-day,  and  intend 
setting  off  myself  on  Thursday  morning." 

The  experiences  of  his  journey  to  New  York,  as  inci- 
dentally mentioned  in  one  or  two  subsequent  letters, 
will  serve  to  give  to  modern  readers  a  realizing  sense 
of  what  they  have  gained  (and,  possibly,  a  conceptioa  of 
some  things  they  have  lost)  by  the  introduction  of  steam- 
boats and  railroads.  He  writes  from  Providence  on  the 
20th  of  June: 

*' While  waiting  for  the  packet  for  New  York  I  am  tempted  to 
scribble  a  line  to  you.  We  shall  leave  here  in  about  two  hours,  and 
I  hope  to  be  in  New  York  by  Monday  or  Tuesday.  I  fell  in  hero 
with  James  and  T.  H.  Perkins,  the  former  of  whom  I  had  never  met 
before.  He  inquired  particularly  for  you,  expressed  much  regret 
at  not  having  seen  you  in  Boston,  and  they  both  promised  to  visit 
you  at  Lancaster." 

Next  day  he  writes  from  New  Haven  : 

"  You  will  wonder  how  I  came  to  be  here,  as  I  yesterday  informed 
you  I  was  waiting  for  the  packet  in  Providence.  At  that  time  my 
passage  was  engaged  in  the  packet ;  but  while  I  was  waiting  for  the 
porter  to  take  my  trunk  on  board,  the  mail  stage  called  to  know  if 
there  were  any  passengers,  and  I  could  not  resist  the  impulse  of  tak- 
ing the  first  opportunity  that  offered,  so  stepped  in,  and  here  I  am. 
This  is  fortunate,  for  the  wind  is  blowing  strong  from  the  west,  and 
the  packet,  therefore,  must  remain  at  Newport  till  it  shifts.  By  rid- 
ing another  night  I  could  have  reached  New  York  to-morrow  morn- 
ing, but  I  was  fatigued  and  preferred  spending  a  day  or  two  here. 
On  Monday  I  shall  take  the  stage  again,  and  be  ia  New  York  the 
next  morning. 

"...  While  writing  I  learn  that  the  wind  has  changed,  and  that 
an  excellent  packet  sails  this  evening  for  New  York,  so  farewell 
stage.    I  have  little  doubt  of  arriving  there  to-morrow. 

"  Would  to  Heaven  that  something  might  occur  that  should  make 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE. 


105 


it  proper  and  prudent  to  give  up  the  voyage;  but  it  would  be  as  wiso 
to  wish  for  fortune  at  once." 

From  New  York  he  writes  on  the  25th  of  June : 

"I  found  Mr.  Slialcr  had  purchased  an  excellent  vessel  for  our 
business,  the  schooner  Aspasia,  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  tons' 
burden.  From  her  size  and  construction  she  will  be  a  very  uncom- 
fortable and  swift-sailing  vessel ;  but,  provided  the  voyage  turns  out 
OS  well  as  we  have  reason  to  expect,  and  enables  me  thenceforth  to 
remain  with  you,  no  inconvenience  or  fatigue  will  bo  regarded.  I 
think  I  shall  be  ready  for  sea  in  about  three  weeks." 

In  a  later  letter,  on  the  8th  of  July,  he  says,  in  reply 
to  her  expressed  apprehensions  that  his  vessel  was  an  un- 
safe one : 

•'Though  not  comfortable,  I  consider  her  as  safe  a  vessel  as  any 
whatever.  She  has  the  reputation  of  being  an  excellent  sea-boat, 
and  as  wo  shall  only  bo  in  ballast  trim,  she  cannot  be  very  un- 
comfortable. 

"I  am  apprehensive  of  no  rivals  except  from  Boston;  and  if  there 
are  none  fitted  out  this  autumn  I  feel  confident  of  being  able  to 
complete  my  voyage  satisfactorily,  so  as  to  be  with  you  again  by 
August  or  September,  1807;  and  I  assure  you  that  so  far  from 
extending  it,  in  order  to  make  it  better,  I  shall  be  ready  to  make 
any  reasonable  sacrifice  in  order  to  return  within  that  period.  As, 
however,  it  is  a  speculative  kind  of  voyage,  and  one  where  you 
cannot  expect  to  hear  from  me,  let  me  beg  you  to  indulge  no  un- 
necessary anxiety,  as  a  thousand  unforeseen  events  may  occur  to 
thwart  my  plans  and  keep  me  absent  from  all  I  hold  most  dear. 

"1  intend  writing  to  Prince  to  make  insurance  on  the  full  amount 
I  shall  have  in  this  voyage,  if  it  can  be  done  at  twenty-five  per  cent, 
against  all  risks,  as  I  feel  that,  in  case  of  its  failure,  it  will  be  diffi- 
cult to  bring  my  mind  to  undertake  another;  and  am  more  con- 
vinced than  ever  that  it  is  acting  more  the  part  of  wisdom  to  retire 
with  means  for  a  moderate  and  decent  support  with  those  without 
whom  life  is  not  worth  having,  rather  than  be  absent  drudging  after 
affluence  and  luxury,  even  if  that  absence  should  secure  it,  of  which 
there  are  always  doubts. 
5* 


oi. 


I 


i 


'■■U 

-At  i 


106 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


"With  even  a  very  limited  share  of  fortune,  therefore,  you  may 
safely  calculate  on  this  being  our  last  separation." 

In  a  Biibsequent  letter  he  gives  her  the  following 
sketch  of  his  proposed  voyage : 

"The  Aitpasia  and  cargo  will  cost  $40,000,  of  which  I  hold  an 
interest  of  $17,500,  Mr.  Shaler  an  equal  amount,  and  a  friend  of 
ours  in  Philadelphia  the  remaining  $5000.  My  intention  now  is  to 
proceed  directly  to  the  Falkland  Islands,  unless  I  should  find  myself 
short  of  fruit  and  vegetables,  in  which  case  I  shall  stop  at  the  Cape 
de  Verde  Islands. 

"At  the  Falkland  Islands  wo  shall  probably  spend  a  week  in 
filling  up  our  water,  getting  a  supply  of  live-stock,  and  putting  our 
vessel  in  a  fit  state  to  encounter  the  rough  weather  that  must  always 
be  expected  in  doubling  Cape  Horn.  The  first  place  I  shaU  stop  at 
af*er  doubling  the  cape  will  be  the  Island  of  Chiloe,  where  it  is 
probable  I  may  dispose  of  part  of  my  cargo ;  and  from  thence  pro- 
ceed northerly  along  the  coast,  touching  at  Aranco,  Coquimbo, 
Pisco,  Payta,  and  a  hundred  other  little  ports,  till  I  have  completed 
the  sale  of  my  cargo;  and  with  only  a  tolerable  share  of  success  I 
can  hardly  fail  of  doing  it,  and,  consequently,  of  being  with  you 
again  in  twelve  months.  Another  object  I  have  in  view,  which 
may  lengthen  the  voyage,  is  the  purchase  of  copper. 

"This  article  has  been  very  abundant  and  cheap  on  the  coast,  and 
if  it  continues  to  be  so,  I  shall  probably  secure  a  large  quantity  of 
it;  and  as  my  vessel  will  not  carry  above  one  hundred  tons  of  such 
an  article,  it  is  not  unlikely  I  may  take  several  loads  and  deposit 
them  on  some  desert  island  in  the  neighborhood,  and  then  proceed  to 
China  and  charter  a  ship  to  send  after  it.  This  would  lengthen  the 
voyage  to  eighteen  months,  but  the  advantage  derived  from  it  will 
be  such  that  I  am  sure  you  will  approve  of  it.  Such  are  the  out- 
lines of  my  plans,  which  must  be  varied  according  to  circumstances 
and  the  information  I  receive.  I  trust  I  need  not  assure  you  that 
my  voyage  will  not  be  extended  unless  something  so  brilliant  should 
present  itself  that  it  w^ould  be  weakness  to  let  it  pass.  Mr.  Prince 
informs  me  that  he  can  make  insurance  against  all  risks  for  twenty- 
five  per  cent.,  and  I  have  desired  him  to  do  it  on  my  account  for 


DISASTER  AT  SEA. 


107 


115,000,  provided  it  extends  to  every  risk  that  can  be  thought  of. 
Shaler  malccs  no  insurance,  as  he  thinks  it  worth  as  much  to  insure 
getting  it  in  case  of  loss  as  to  make  tlie  Urst  insurance;  but  I  feel 
that,  on  your  account,  it  would  be  wrong  in  me  to  omit  this  pre- 
caution." 

"  Rio  Janeiro,  November  10,  180  9. 

"When  I  wrote  you  last,  as  the  pilot  was  leaving  me  in  New 
York,  I  little  expected  my  next  would  bo  from  this  place,  and  still 
less  that  dire  necessity  would  be  the  cause ;  but  so  it  is.  Be  not 
alarmed,  however;  our  misfortunes  are  indeed  trifling  to  what  they 
might  have  been,  and  I  consider  the  greatcat  to  be  tlia^  it  will  add 
to  the  contemplated  time  of  oi:r  separation. 

"Nothing  of  consequence  occurred  during  the  first  month  of  our 
voyage.  We  had  an  uncommonly  calm  time,  and,  therefore,  made 
but  indifferent  progress  till  the  10th  September,  when  wo  took  the 
trade  wind,  and  from  its  violence  next  day  almost  wished  for  thn 
calms  we  had  previously  been  lamenting  as  a  calamity. 

"We  were  at  this  time  in  latitude  20"  north,  longitude  ^f  west, 
and  were  under  double-reefed  sails,  with  a  considerable  eea  running, 
when,  at  two  a.m.,  I  was  roused  by  the  dismal  cry  of  'All  hands, 
clear  the  wreck.'  This  was  discordant  music  to  me,  who  had  all  at 
risk,  and,  in  case  of  its  loss,  should  be  doomed  to  almost  perpetual 
banishment  from  those  he  holds  most  dear.  On  going  on  deck  I 
found  the  foremast  gone  by  the  board,  and  hanging  by  the  stay, 
which  was  fast  at  the  mainmast  head;  the  mainmast,  tottering  with 
this  additional  weight,  at  each  roll  appeared  as  if  it  must  go  also. 
But  one  sailor,  more  active  than  the  others,  went  up,  at  the  risk  of 
his  life,  and  cut  away  this  stay,  when  the  mast  immediately  fell 
alongside,  taking  with  it  the  bowsprit,  which  broke  just  without  the 
stem.  At  this  time  the  main  boom  got  loose,  and  in  the  endeavor 
to  secure  it  one  man  was  dangerously  wounded. 

"As  it  was  dangerous  having  the  spars  alongside  the  Vessel  while 
we  had  so  much  sea,  we  got  them  to  windward  of  her  as  soon  as 
possible,  but  kept  fast  to  them,  in  order  to  get  them  on  board  the 
following  day.  This  we  effected,  notwithstanding  a  very  high  sea, 
and  the  consequent  laboring  of  the  vessel,  which  was  increased  pro- 
digiously from  the  weight  being  so  much  lessened  above  the  centre 
of  gravity.    The  rolling  was  such  that  for  some  time  we  were  in 


I  <i 


Jl 


'1- 

1  H 

f  ' 

';! 


m 


108 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NA"VIGATOR, 


I 


expectation  of  seeing  our  mainmast  go  also.  In  the  frequent  ne- 
cessity tills  disaster  made  for  sending  men  to  the  masthead,  one  of 
them,  when  nearly  up  to  the  crosstrees,  lost  his  hold  and  fell ;  but, 
the  mainsail  being  only  partly  hoisted,  made  a  bag,  and  he  fell  di- 
rectly into  it,  otherwise  he  •  ould  have  been  dashed  to  pieces. 

"After  clearing  the  wiv^ck  we  rigged  a  jury-mast,  and  began  to 
make  considerable  way.  Being  again  under  sail,  the  next  thing  to 
be  considered  was  the  best  plan  to  pursue;  and  after  weighing  the 
advantages  and  disadvantages,  the  prospects  of  success,  and  the 
probable  expense  of  repairing,  of  each  one  that  presented  itself  to 
my  mind,  I  came  to  the  determination  to  endeavor  to  get  to  Rio 
Janeiro,  where,  if  wo  were  not  permitted  to  sell  our  cargo,  we  could 
easily  repair  our- damages  and  proceed  on  the  original  plan.  But  it 
was  by  no  means  a  trifling  undertaking  to  attempt  to  get  here  in  our 
crippled  condition,  and  its  success  was  very  doubtful,  since  (pre- 
suming upon  our  good  sailing)  I  had  not  g  >ne  nearly  so  far  to  the 
eastward  as  vessels  are  accustomed  to  do  that  cross  the  equator,  and 
feared,  therefore,  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  double  Cv- 
St.  Roque.  Failing  in  this,  1  intended  to  go  to  Para  (a  Portuguese 
settlement  nearly  on  the  equator),  and  there  endeavo;  to  sell  our 
cargo;  and,  if  not  permitted,  to  proceed  to  Trinidad  \>id  there  get 
information  of  the  part  of  the  Spanish  coast  where  we  should  bo 
most  likely  to  succeed  in  not  making  a  losiTig  voyage  (for  this  is  the 
object  we  now  had  in  view),  and  complete  the  unfortunate  business 
by  roturning  to  America  as  expeditiously  as  possible. 

"Mj  mind  being  made  up  on  this  business,  and  having  givvn  di- 
rections in  accordance  with  my  decision,  I  had  now  leisure  to  t-eflect 
upon  my  situation,  and,  contrastin"^  it  with  what  it  was  but  twenty- 
four  hours  before,  I  was  more  forcibly  impressed  than  I  have  ever 
been  with  the  uncertainty  of  everything  connected  with  navigation. 

"Could  I  now  have  transported  myself  to  our  home,  even  with 
the  humiliating  condition  of  living  on  a  miserable  $500  a  year,  most 
readily  would  I —    But,  stop  a  little,  Mr.  C. 

"To  live  on  such  an  annuity  is  entirely  out  of  the  question,  and  I 
still  hold  that  it  is  better  to  perish  in  the  honest  endeavor  to  secure  a 
decent  independence,  and  be  enabled  to  help  one's  friends,  than  +0  veg- 
etate on  such  a  pittance,  and  wear  away  life  in  discontented  idleness. 

"Without  meeting  with  any  other  serious  calamity  we  crossed 


I 


LETTERS  FROM  RIO  JANEIRO. 


109 


the  equator  on  the  6th  of  October,  and  arrived  Lero  on  the  24th  of 
the  san^e  mouth.  Here  I  found,  as  I  expected,  a  very  cordial  wel- 
come from  all  those  who  expected  to  be  benefltcd  by  my  misfortunes. 

"This  was  evident,  even  on  the  part  of  the  government  linguist, 
who  tried  to  make  me  believe  I  could  only  employ  such  mechanics  as 
he  named — with  a  view,  no  doubt,  to  charging  double  and  dividing 
the  plunder— whereat,  my  wrath  being  kindled,  I  made  application 
to  higher  autho^it3^  and  found  I  might  employ  whom  I  pleased. 

"  I  then  found  I  could  have  my  work  done  for  less  than  half  what 
I  was  first  told  it  would  cost,  yet  it  will  require  nearly  or  quite  $2000 
to  pay  for  repairs. 

"Both  necessity  and  choice  compel  me  to  rig  the  Aspasia  as  a  brig, 
as  masts  are  not  to  be  procured  here  for  a  schooner ;  and,  if  they 
were,  I  would  not  take  them,  as  nothing  can  be  so  unwieldy,  unsafe, 
and  uncomfortable  as  so  largo  a  vessel  rigged  as  a  schooner. 

"  The  oflacers  who  examined  my  vessel  have  allowed  me  forty-five 
days  for  repairs,  which  will  doubtless  be  more  than  is  necessary. 

"  I  wish  my  adventures  had  been  of  a  more  pleasing  nature,  but 
they  might  have  been  much  more  serious  ;  and  to  have  crossed  such 
an  immense  space  of  ocean  in  safety,  in  the  wretched  predicament 
we  weie  in,  is  sufficient  cause  for  grateful  emotion." 

"Rio  Janeiro,  November  15,  1806. 
"Do  not  be  apprehensive  that  I  allow  the  accident  I  have  met 
with  to  weigh  upou  ray  mind.  It  will  probably  lead  to  my  making 
an  arrangement  here  which  will  prolong  my  absence,  and  this  I  con- 
sider the  greatest  misfortune,  for  I  find  more  and  more  that  this  sep- 
aration i  3  a  kind  of  suspension  of  existence,  and,  so  far  from  acting 
on  my  clJ  principle  of  succeed  or  perish,  I  feel  that  to  return  to 
you,  even  with  a  total  loss  of  property,  is  very  desirable,  and  will 
afford  grent  room  for  rejoicing;  how  much  more,  then,  with  suffi- 
cient to  enable  me  to  say  'We  meet  to  part  no  more.'  It  is  this 
hope  which  gives  me  courage  to  prosecute  my  plans,  and  while  en- 
livened by  it  and  in  possession  of  such  health  as  I  constantly  enjoy, 
I  assure  you  I  feel  as  much  like  subverting  a  government  or  throw- 
ing the  Andes  into  the  sea  as  ever  I  did  in  my  life.  I  had  been  flat- 
tering myself  on  the  passage  here  that  I  migbt  possibly  manage  to 
finish  the  voyage  here,  and  return  immediately  to  America;  and  this, 


no 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


probably,  I  should  have  been  able  to  do,  were  not  all  commerce  sus- 
pended between  this  and  the  River  Plate  in  consequence  of  the  Eng- 
lish being  there;  and  this  has  caused  such  a  stagnation  here  as  has 
not  been  l^nown  during  the  war.  The  English  took  Buenos  Ayres, 
a  city  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  with  a  force  of 
only  fifteen  hundred  men.  The  English  general  (Beresford)  suffered 
himself  to  be  lulled  into  the  belief  of  security  by  the  assurances  of 
the  bishop  that  the  Spaniards  were  friendly  ;o  them,  while,  with  the 
treachery  of  a  Spaniard  and  the  cunning  of  a  priest,  he  was  secretly 
plotting  their  destruction.  When  all  was  ready  the  English  were 
suddenly  attacked  by  an  immense  rabble,  and  were  forced  to  capit- 
ulate. It  is  reported,  however,  that  the  Spaniards  broke  the  capit- 
ulation, and  were  guilty  of  cruelties  that  would  disgrace  the  savages 
of  North  America. 

"I  expect  to  be  ready  to  leave  in  about  three  weeks,  but  whether 
in  the  Aspasia,  on  the  original  plan,  is  very  doubtful,  as  I  contem- 
plate making  an  ap'^.^^j'^^Gnt  for  a  Portuguese  ship,  which  has  a 
royal  license  for  Lima.  If  I  succeed  I  shall  either  dispose  of  the 
Aspasia  or  send  her  to  Havre  with  a  load  of  jeiked  beef.  Such  a 
plan  must  necessarily  lengthen  my  absence,  as  to  load  a  ship  of 
three  hundred  and  sixty  tons  at  Lima,  and  return  here,  will  take  till 
next  June  or  July,  so  that  it  will  be  late  in  the  autumn  before  I  shall 
be  in  Lisbon.  While  affairs  in  Europe  are  so  uncertain  it  wijl  be 
only  consistent  with  common  pruc*  nee  to  touch  here  on  my  way 
back,  otherwise  I  should  proceed  directly  from  Lima  to  Lisbon, 
which  would  save  much  time  and  expense.  Could  I  be  certain  of 
adopting  this  plan,  and  as  certain  of  arriving  safely  in  Lisbon,  I 
should  certainly  propose  your  meeting  me  there,  and  spending  the 
following  winter  with  me  in  Italy,  but  it  is  too  uncertain  for  you  to 
run  the  risk  and  Ixjar  the  fatigue  of  such  a  voyage  with  a  possibility 
of  disappointment.  If  I  conclude  this  arrangement  I  shall  go  much 
more  at  my  ease  than  in  the  Aspasia,  besides  running  less  risk  of 
seizure;  but  what  most  influences  me  is  the  greater  chance  of  profit; 
for,  having  a  large  ship,  I  expect  to  m.::ie  more  on  the  return  than 
on  the  outward  cargo. 

"22d. — Had  the  bearer  of  this  sailed  a  week  ago,  as  he  expected, 
you  would  doubtless,  on  reception  of  my  letter,  have  made  up  your 
mind  to  an  additional  year's  separation,  as  I  had  then  serious  thoughts 


LETTERS  FROM  RIO  JANEIRO. 


Ill 


of  going  to  Lima  and  Lisbon ;  but  I  liax'e  now  the  pleasure  of  inform- 
ing you  that  I  yesterday  made  an  arrangement  which,  barring  acci- 
dents, will  enable  me  to  be  with  you  in  May  or  June  next.  I  need 
not  assure  you  how  extremely  pleasing  this  is  to  me,  especially  as  the 
prospect  is  as  good  as  anything  I  could  calculate  on  in  my  original 
plan. 

"I  have  sold  the  cargo  of  the  Aspasia  at  its  cost,  and  am  to  receive 
the  amount  of  it  in  jerked  beef  at  about  $3  per  cwt.,  to  be  delivered 
at  the  Island  of  St.  Catherine's.  It  will  amount  to  nine  or  ten  thou- 
sand quintals;  and,  as  the  Aspasia  will  hardly  carry  two  thousand, 
I  have  contracted  for  the  Portuguese  ship  before  mentioned,  a^d  wo 
shall  be  ready  to  leave  for  St.  Catherine's  in  fifteen  or  twenty  days. 
t  think  we  shall  not  be  detained  more  than  a  month  in  loading,  so 
that  we  may  expect  to  sail  for  Havana  by  the  30th  of  January,  1807. 

"My  first  mate,  Mr.  Rodgers,  will  take  charge  of  the  Aspasia,  and 
I  will  go  in  the  ship,  the  captain  and  officers  of  which  are  to  be  un- 
der my  orders. 

"To  proceed  directly  to  Havana  from  a  Spanish  port  would, 
doubtless,  be  the  height  of  imprudence,  but  from  a  port  of  a  nation 
at  peace  with  Great  Britain  I  conceive  to  be  as  safe  as  from  the 
United  States,  especially  at  this  time,  when  there  can  be  no  suspi- 
cion of  my  being  from  the  River  Plate. 

"If  the  suspension  of  all  commerce  with  that  river  operates 
against  me  in  the  sale  of  my  outward  cargo,  it  must  act  correspond- 
ingly in  my  favor  in  the  sale  of  the  beef  at  Havana,  as  the  sup- 
ply which  they  have  been  in  the  habit  of  receiving  is  now  entirely 
cut  off. 

"My  fortune  once  hung  entirely  on  coffee,  and  it  turned  out  a 
ragged  one.  It  now  hangs  entirely  on  beef,  and  we  shall  soon  know 
its  fate.  In  any  event,  I  shall  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
each  day  brings  me  nearer  to  you,  at  the  same  time  that  I  am  pur- 
suing a  plan  that  promises  more  profit,  with  less  risk,  than  cruising 
on  the  coasts  of  Chili  and  Peru." 


"  Rio  Janeiko,  JDecember  4,  1806. 
"It  is  but  few  days  since  I  sent  you,  by  the  Criterion,  Captain 
Chase,  a  long  detail  of  our  adventures,  and  of  my  future  intentions. 
I  still  consider  my  plan  far  more  eliiiible  than  the  orlcrinal  one.    I 


112 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


have  been  enabled  to  despatch  the  Aspasia  much  sooner  than  I  ex- 
pected, by  giving  something  more  for -the  beef,  which  I  considered 
more  advantageous  than  keeping  her  here  two  months.  I  wish  it 
were  in  my  power  to  get  away  as  soon,  for  I  consider  every  day's  ab- 
sence from  home  as  so  much  time  completely  lost;  but  two  months 
will  soon  be  gone,  and  then  each  day  I  shall  be  making  advances 
towards  that  delightful  retreat  from  whence  nothing  but  cold  pov- 
erty or  the  prospect  of  it  shall  again  separate  me.  But  who,  alasl 
has  more  reason  to  dread  th's?  With  what  a  series  of  misfortunes 
have  I  not  been  assailed  for  the  past  three  years,  and  with  what  con- 
fidence can  I  now  expect  to  escape  the  pirates  in  the  West  Indies? 
I  expect  to  meet  with  British  ships  of  war,  but  do  not  fear  them, 
OS  my  business  is  regular,  and  such  as  will  bear  the  nicest  scrutiny 
by  those  who  act  uprightly;  but  should  I  meet  with  any  of  those 
privateers  the  consequences  may  be  serious,  as  they  respect  the 
property  of  no  one.  I  will  not,  however,  dwell  on  the  dark  side  of 
the  picture,  and  the  pleasing  thought  of  meeting  you  in  June  will 
enable  me  to  bear  even  a  greater  misfortune,  though  this  would  be 
complete  ruin,  and  make  it  necessary  for  me  to  plough  the  ocean  yet 
for  many  years. 

"I  fear  you  may  find  the  winter  dull  in  the  country,  though  the 
resources  you  have  in  your  piano,  books,  etc.,  are  so  much  greater 
than  are  usual,  yet  a  little  of  the  noise  of  the  town  at  this  dreary 
season  is  by  no  means  unpleasant." 

A  aliort  letter  from  Rio  Janeiro,  written  three  weeks 
later,  contains  tlie  following : 

"  I  shall  leave  here  to-morrow  for  St.  Catherine's,  and  with  pros- 
pects extremely  flattering,  as  we  know  that  no  beef  has  been  shipped 
from  the  River  Plate  these  four  months  past,  and,  except  what  is 
now  laden  on  board  American  ships,  there  will  probably  be  no  more 
at  all,  as  the  English  are  going  with  sufficient  force  to  take  it,  and 
it  is  not  likely  they  will  permit  Americans  to  have  any  share  in  the 
commerce.  Notwithstanding  everything  concurs  to  lead  me  to  sup- 
pose that  I  shall  terminate  my  voyage  advantageously,  yet  so  per- 
verse is  my  fortune  of  late  that  I  count  on  nothing  with  confidence. 
A  few  months,  however,  will  determine  whether  I  am  to  enjoy  the 


ST.  CATHERINE'S. 


118 


happiness  of  a  home  with  you  of"  continue  to  be  an  exile  for 
years." 

It  may  be  mentioned  here,  for  the  benefit  of  those 
readers  who  are  not  familiar  with  the  Havana  trade, 
that  -jerked  beef  from  South  America  constituted  one 
of  the  chief  articles  of  import  for  the  consumption, 
mostly,  of  the  slave  population. 

Owing  to  its  perishable  nature,  it  was  never  allowed 
to  be  landed  in  bulk,  but  was  sold  by  the  quintal  from 
the  ship  in  which  it  arrived.  This  method,  of  course, 
involved  a  long  detention  of  the  vessel  in  Havana. 

"  St.  Cathehine's,  February  6, 1807. 

"I  expected  before  this  to  have  been  on  my  way  to  Havana,  but 
have  been  disappointed  in  the  reception  of  our  cargo.  One  half  of 
it,  however,  is  now  here,  and  the  remainder  will  be  very  soon,  so 
that,  making  every  allowance,  I  do  not  think  we  shall  be  detained 
later  than  the  Ist  of  March,  and  I  may  yet  be  with  you  before  the 
end  of  June. 

"This  town  contains  about  four  thousand  inhabitants,  mostly 
Creoles,  and  there  are  about  one  thousand  regular  troops  here.  The 
government  is  military  and  perfectly  despotic,  but  only  think  of 
investing  an  illiterate  man,  who  has  risen  from  the  ranks,  with  such 
power  I  Such  is  the  present  governor.  He,  however,  keeps  most 
excellent  order.  One  of  our  sailors  happened  to  meet  him  in  the 
street,  and,  not  knowing  him,  neglected  to  take  off  his  hat,  for  which 
offence  he  was  immediately  arrested  and  put  in  the  stocks  for  an 
hour.  ... 

"There  are  some  beautiful  walks  in  the  environs  of  the  town, 
where  I  sometimes  ramble  alone  for  hours,  thinking  of  home  and  of 
those  who  are  dear  to  me,  till  I  become  so  impatient  that  I  could  al- 
most sacrifice  everything  if  I  could  be  there  by  so  doing.  I  often 
wish  you  could  partake  of  the  fine  melons,  peaches,  pineapples,  etc., 
which  we  are  daily  consuming. 

"But  four  or  five  months  will  soon  wear  off,  and  then— I  was  go- 
hig  to  say — I  shall  be  at  home;  but  I  foresee  difficulties  and  dangers 


-f  ij 


114 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


II    ! 


now  to  which  I  have  hitherto  been  unaccustomed.  A  privateer  may 
take  me,  or  I  may  be  shipwrecked,  and  then  '  farewell  to  all  my 
greatness.'  Yet  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  all  will  turn  out  right, 
especially  when  I  reflect  how  often  I  have  been  conducted  right 
even  in  spite  of  myself.  You  know  how  much  my  heart  was  set 
upon  a  voyage  to  the  River  Plate  with  you  for  my  companion,  and 
how  reluctant  I  was  to  abandon  it;  yet,  had  I  undertaken  that  voy- 
age in  the  large  ship,  as  I  contemplated,  ruin  would  have  been  the 
inevitable  consequence,  as  all  the  ships  that  sailed  about  that  time 
from  America  have  been  so  long  embargoed  by  the  English  being 
there  that  those  which  had  received  their  cargoes  of  beef  have  had 
it  ail  spoiled;  and  those  which  had  not  sold  their  outward  cargo 
have  been  lying  there  at  great  expense,  and  will  finally  be  obliged 
to  carry  them  away  again." 

Of  his  experiences  subsequent  to  this  letter  I  quote 
the  account  from  his  published  "  Narrative,"  with  the 
addition  of  an  occasional  introduction  of  a  letter  written 
at  the  time. 

"Having  decided  on  the  plan  I  was  now  prosecuting,  I  had  writ- 
ten by  two  opportunities  from  Rio  Janeiro  to  my  friends  in  Boston, 
requesting  to  have  insurance  effected  if  possible.  But  these  were 
precarious  times  for  neutrals,  when  the  two  great  belligerents  agreed 
in  nothing  else  than  plundering  them,  and  I  was  aware  of  the  un- 
certainty whether  insurance  could  be  effected  at  any  rate. 

"On  the  presumption,  however,  that  such  neutral  commerce  as 
did  not,  even  in  a  remote  degree,  prejudice  the  interests  of  the  bel- 
ligerents would  be  unmolested,  I  felt  that  I  had  little  else  than  the 
sea-risk  to  guard  against,  and  was  therefore  free  from  anxiety  on  the 
subject  of  insurance. 

"Having  accomplished  our  lading,  after  waiting  for  the  last  part 
of  our  cargo  till  my  patience  was  nearly  exhausted,  we  finally 
weighed  anchor  and  sailed  for  Havana  in  the  Telemaco  on  the  15th 
of  February,  1807. 

"A  few  degrees  south  of  the  equator  we  fell  in  with  a  British 
frigate,  by  which  we  were  subjected  to  a  rigid  scrutiny,  the  result  of 
which  was  a  conviction  of  the  neutrality  of  the  property,  the  legal- 


MEETS  WITH  LORD  COCHRANE'S  FLEET. 


115 


ity  of  the  voyage,  and,  consequently,  that  no  motive  existed  for  de- 
tention. By  the  captain  and  ofBcers  of  this  ship  I  was  treated  witli 
great  civility,  and  on  parting  they  wished  mo  a  pleasant  voyage  to 
Havana.  A  similar  investigation,  with  a  like  result,  by  a  British 
sloop-of-war,  from  which  we  were  boarded  a  few  days  afterwards, 
encouraged  the  belief  tbat  I  had  nothing  to  apprehend  from  British 
vessels  of  war. 

"With  these  impressions  I  perceived  no  other  obstacle  to  my 
reaching  Havana  than  the  sea-risk,  and,  with  the  certainty  of  reap- 
ing an  immense  profit  on  my  adventure,  my  imagination  often  dwelt 
on  the  joy  of  a  happy  return  to  my  family  with  a  fortune  which 
would  supersede  the  necessity  of  leaving  it  again.  But  these  pleas- 
ing anticipations  were  soon  destined  to  pass  in^  the  regions  of  airy 
castles. 

"Early  or  a  fine  morning,  when  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
to  windwa  d  of  the  island  of  Martinique,  we  descried  a  number  of 
vessels  to  w  ostward,  which  proved  to  be  a  fleet  of  English  vessels  of 
war.  Being  nearest  the  BamiUies,  of  seventy-four  guns,  we  were 
boarded  from  that  ship,  and  on  learning  that  the  fleet  was  com- 
manded by  Admiral  Cochrane  my  heart  sank  within  me. 

"  All  my  confidence  resulting  from  the  ordeal  to  which  we  had 
recently  been  subjected,  combined  with  my  entire  conviction  of  the 
innocence  and  legality  of  the  voyage,  were  iusuflScient  to  banish  the 
apprehension  that  we  shoald  be  sent  in  for  adjudication. 

"The  boarding-officer  from  the  RamilUes  was  a  young  man  of 
good  appearance,  but  totally  deficient  in  every  attribute  of  the  gen- 
tleman except  the  garb.  His  behavior  to  the  captain  of  the  Telemaco 
and  to  myself  while  on  board  our  own  ship  was  marked  by  all  that 
insolence,  arrogance,  and  impudence  which  are  the  acknowledged 
peculiarities  of  a  coward  when  conscious  of  being  free  from  dan- 
ger. As  the  captain  of  the  Telemaco  did  not  speak  English,  I  ac- 
companied this  brutal  officer  on  board  the  BamiUies  with  the  ship's 
papers.  My  reception  by  the  venerable  and  respectable  commander 
of  the  ship  formed  a  perfect  contrast  with  that  of  the  boarding-offi- 
cer. He  was  evidently  one  of  the  old  school,  urbane  and  gentle- 
manly, with  manners  and  deportment  as  much  at  variance  with  those 
of  his  subalterns  as  were  the  courtiers  of  the  time  of  the  Louis'd 
with  the  sam  culottes  of  our  day.    After  a  thorough  examination 


if 


116 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


of  our  papers,  in  which  he  was  assisted  by  two  of  his  officers,  no 
cause  was  found  for  our  detention,  and  the  papers  were  consequently 
returned  to  me  by  the  commander,  who  wished  me  a  good  voyage 
and  sent  me  again  on  board  my  vessel.  .  .  .  We  had  scarcely  filled 
away  our  sails,  however,  when  the  admiral  having  approached  us, 
and  the  information  having  been  conveyed  to  him  by  signal  whence 
we  came  and  whither  bound,  without  deigning  to  see  us  or  our  pa- 
pers, he  ordered  our  ship  to  be  taken  possession  of  and  conducted  to 
Tortola.  Accordingly  a  boat  from  the  Cerberus  brought  the  requi- 
site number  of  men  to  take  possession,  and  took  our  ship's  company, 
including  myself,  on  board  that  frigate." 


This  informaUlDn  lie  conveys  to  my  mother  in  the 
following  letter : 

"  ToBTOLA,  April  24, 1807. 

"It  is  with  grief,  my  dear  wife,  that  I  am  under  the  necessity  of 
informing  you  of  my  having  been  sent  into  tliis  place  for  adjudica- 
tion. I  emphasize  on  '  this  place '  because  I  believe,  of  all  the  de- 
testable nests  of  pirates  that  ever  the  world  was  cursed  with,  this  is 
the  worst. 

"  We  arrived  yesterday,  and  I  shall  know  in  a  day  or  two  whether 
we  shall  be  dismissed,  or  whether  the  affair  is  to  be  decided  by  a 
court  of  vice-admiralty.  lu  the  former  case  I  shall  be  off  immedi- 
ately; in  the  latter,!  am  told,  it  will  take  twenty  or  twenty -five 
days  to  determine,  at  .vhich  period,  from  the  perishable  nature  of 
the  cargo,  I  have  my  doubts  whether,  in  case  it  is  cleared,  I  had 
better  receive  or  abandon  it.  In  case  of  condemnation  I  shall  ap- 
peal, and  have  no  doubt  of  the  decree  being  reversed.  I  know  not 
whether  any  insurance  has  been  effected  for  me;  but,  admitting  it 
has  been,  I  know  the  difficulty  of  recovering  from  those  gentlemen. 

"At  any  rate,  I  foresee  many  years  of  toil  and  trouble,  and,  what 
is  infinitely  worse,  separation  from  you  and  all  I  hold  dear  in  life, 
compared  with  which  any  other  misfortune  is  light. 

"  25*/*.— I  find  the  rascals  intend  to  proceed  against  me.  I  shall  en- 
deavor to  compromise  if  possible;  if  not,  as  my  cargo  is  composed 
of  a  perishable  article,  they  will  proceed  to  business  immediately, 
and  the  affair  will  soon  be  determined." 


LETTERS  FROM  TORTOLA. 


117 


"  ToRTOLA,  Jfay  1, 1807. 

"  While  vraiting  the  motions  of  the  indolent  and  unfeeling  law- 
yers and  agents,  who,  from  being  inured  to  scenes  of  distress,  and 
not  unfrequently  seeing  our  unfortunate  countrymen  dying  in  de- 
spair, are  perfectly  callous  to  every  feeling  of  humanity,  and  conse- 
quently deaf  to  my  entreaties  for  completing  the  business  and  short- 
ening my  period  of  torture  as  much  as  possible,  I  sit  down  to  beguile 
a  moment  and  suspend  unpleasant  reflection  by  writing  to  you.  .  .  . 
Though  I  may  bo  condemned  in  this  detestable  sink  of  iniquity,  the 
decree  will  certainly  be  reversed  in  England,  where,  for  the  honor 
of  the  nation,  they  must  discountenance  such  wicked  and  unparal- 
leled decisions  as  are  frequently  made  here.  Indeed,  Tortola  is  so 
notorious  that,  although,  in  coming  here  after  being  taken,  we  passed 
by  Antigua,  where  there  is  a  superior  court  and  a  judge  of  respecta- 
bility. Admiral  Cochrane  chose  to  send  us  here,  well  knowing  that 
he  could  rely  upon  the  decision  being  in  his  favor. 

"But  while  I  reflect  upon  all  the  suffering  which  may  ensue  from 
this  misfortune;  that  it  must  involve  a  protracted  and  uncertain  sep- 
aration from  you;  that,  if  no  insurance  has  been  effected,  I  am  utter- 
ly ruined;  that,  having  undertaken  this  part  of  the  voyage  without 
the  concurrence  of  Shaler  he  will  be  an  innocent  sufferer  from  my 
misfortune,  and  that  my  drafts  from  Rio  Janeiro  will  be  falling  due 
in  America  just  when  the  news  of  this  seizure  reaches  there,  my 
sympathies  for  an  unfortunate  English  captain  who  lately  left  hero 
exceed  even  the  anguish  caused  by  my  own  experience,  and  I  am 
tempted  to  tell  you  the  story  that  you  may  see  to  what  lengths  Ad- 
miral Cochrane  will  go  to  acquire  only  a  paltry  sum,  and  may  judge 
by  this  what  enormities  such  a  monster  would  be  guilty  of  were  a 
greater  temptation  offered. 

"When  Jerome  Bonaparte  made  a  sweep  in  the  West  Indies  last 
summer  he  took  a  ship  at  Montserrat  which  belonged  to  this  cap- 
tain, and  which  was  his  all.  The  ship  was  taken  to  St.  Martin's, 
where  the  captain,  expecting  to  get  her  very  cheap,  went  and  bought 
her,  and,  to  raise  funds  for  payment,  drew  bills  on  Tortola,  where 
he  expected  to  have  a  freight  for  his  ship  to  Europe  and  to  pay  his 
drafts  by  his  freight-money;  but  the  poor  fellow,  on  his  way  from 
St.  Martin's  to  Tortola,  fell  in  with  the  brave  Cochrane,  who  seized 
his  ship  and  sent  her  in  here,  where,  to  the  astonishment  even  of  the 


.1^: 


Hi 
■  !( 


If 


ii 
! 

H 
'il 


i 


^'i 


118 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


I     :/ 


rogues  of  thia  island,  she  was  condemned.  Tlie  poor,  unfortunate 
captain,  vrbo  has  a  family  in  England,  not  being  able  to  pay  his 
debts,  was  thrown  into  prison,  where  he  lay  for  several  months,  and 
the  ship,  with  another  owner,  sailed  a  few  days  since  for  Europe. 
Could  any  misfortune  be  more  aggravating  and  distressing  than  this, 
to  bo  distressed  and  driven  to  dct-pair  by  a  servant  of  the  govern- 
ment he  contributed  to  support,  and  from  whom  he  ought  to  have 
had  protection.  I  think  I  never  heard  of  any  injustice  to  be  com- 
pared with  it;  but,  indeed,  the  character  of  the  British  naval  officer 
is  astonishingly  degenerated.  In  any  former  war  they  would  have 
despised  the  system  of  plunder  and  piracy  they  are  now  pursuing. 
For  the  several  days  I  had  the  misfortune  to  be  on  board  their  ships 
the  conversation  of  the  officers  consisted  entirely  of  what  they  hoped 
to  share  from  different  prizes,  so  that  I  felt  more  as  if  I  were  with  a 
band  of  robbers  than  with  the  officers  of  a  great  government,  bent 
upon  maintaining  its  dignity." 

"  St.  Thomas,  May  3, 1807. 
"It  seems  as  if  all  of  those  with  whom  I  am  under  the  necessity 
of  having  anything  to  do  were  doomed  to  partake  of  my  misfort- 
unes. In  order  to  vary  the  scene,  and  hoping  to  gather  some  intel- 
ligence of  the  AspaMa,  I  left  Tortola  the  day  before  yesterday  for 
this  place.  The  distance  is  only  about  four  hours'  sail,  but,  as  we 
left  Tortola  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  had  only  a  light  breeze,  wo 
were  under  the  necessity  of  being  out  in  the  night.  About  ono 
o'clock  I  was  awakened  by  a  jar  of  the  vessel,  and  at  first  presumed 
we  were  alongside  some  vessel  in  port,  but  a  second  shock,  attended 
with  a  roar  of  the  sea,  undeceived  me,  and,  on  going  on  deck,  I 
found  we  were  on  a  dangerous  reef  of  rocks.  The  vessel  immedi- 
ately bilged,  and  the  cabin  filled  with  water.  I  had  not  time  to  get 
my  little  trunk  up  before  everything  in  it  was  completely  wet;  and, 
while  going  ashore  in  the  boat,  we  had  a  heavy  rain,  which  wet  me 
through,  and  in  this  situation  had  to  remain  on  the  shore  till  day- 
light; yet  I  thought  not  of  my  own  situation.  To  see  the  distress  of 
the  captain,  who  owned  the  vessel,  which  was  the  fruits  of  many 
years'  hard  labor,  and  that  of  the  owner  of  the  cargo  and  his  family, 
who  assembled  shortly  after  our  landing,  and  who  had  now  lost 
their  little  all,  and  were  reduced  to  beggary,  was  distressing  in  the 
extreme.    They  groaned,  wrung  their  hands,  tore  their  hair,  stamped 


EFFORTS  TO  RECOVER  HIS  SHIP. 


119 


on  the  ground,  and,  indeed,  seemed  distracted.  But,  enough;  shall 
I  never  have  anj'thing  but  scenes  of  distress  to  relate  to  you?  I  fear 
not,  and  wonder  for  what  I  am  yet  reserved. 

"  I  can  learn  nothing  of  the  Aapaaia.  If  she  has  not  arrived  safo 
it  may  be  beat  that  I  do  not  know  it,  for  I  have  enough  to  bear  al- 
ready." 

"TORTOLA,  May  22,  1807. 

"I  have  not  been  disappointed  in  my  expectations.  My  vessel 
and  cargo  are  condemned,  and  for  reasons  the  most  frivolous,  which 
I  have  not  now  time  to  give  you,  for,  after  having  engaged  my  pas- 
sage in  a  fast-sailing  vessel  for  New  York,  and  while  comforting 
myself  with  the  prospect  of  being  soon  by  your  side,  the  agent  of 
the  captors  came  forward,  and  offered  mo  my  ship  and  cargo  for 
less  than  a  third  the  original  cost,  and,  as  an  additional  inducement, 
was  ready  to  engage  that  I  should  not  again  be  molested  by  British 
cruisers.  Can  you  conceive  of  more  barefaced  villainy?  Yet,  in 
order  that  I  may  leave  nothing  undone  to  save  any  portion  of  the 
unfortunate  concern,  I  am  going  again  to  St.  Thomas,  to  endeavor 
to  raise  the  money  by  selling  a  part  of  the  cargo,  deliverable  in  Ha- 
vana, or  by  other  means,  so  that  I  can  realize  thirty-five  or  forty 
thousand  dollars,  which  will  be  better  than  having  recourse  to  tho 
Lords  of  Appeal  in  London  and  wailing  one  or  two  years  for  their 
decision. 

"Nothing but  a  sense  of  duty  should  add  a  single  day  to  the  ab- 
sence which,  has  already  been  so  tedious." 


;.! 


i  ■'  II 


"  St.  TnoMAB,  May  24,  1809. 

"The  enlivening  idea  of  shortly  meeting  you  dissipates  the  gloom 
that  would  otherwise  take  possession  of  me,  and  is  a  consolation  in 
my  disappointment  here  in  procuring  funds  for  the  ransom  of  my 
ship  and  cargo.  I  cannot  raise  the  sum  on  any  terms  that  will  an- 
swer, and  think  now  only  of  settling  my  a£airs  and  returning  to  you 
as  soon  as  possible. 

"I  do  not  know  that  it  is  not  for  the  best  that  I  cannot  compass 
my  object;  because,  if  I  did,  I  must  necessarily  give  up  the  appeal, 
and  lose  the  insurance,  which,  I  think,  must  have  been  made;  but 
it  was  proper  I  should  leave  nothing  undone  that  was  in  my  power 
to  save  the  property.    To-morrow  I  shall  go  again  to  Tortola.    I 


I- 


120 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


hope  and  trust  for  the  last  time,  as  every  object  that  meets  my  view 
there  Is  disgusting  in  the  extreme.  If  I  had  time  I  would  give  you 
a  sketch  of  it,  but  I  must  leave  it  till  we  meet.  Would  that  I  could 
sleep  or  remain  insensible  till  that  time. 

"June  6.— I  am  now  on  the  point  of  embarking  for  home,  after 
being  completely  stripped  of  the  fruits  of  many  years'  hard  toil.  I 
say  completely,  though  it  may  uot  bo  literally  so,  because  there  is 
hardly  a  doubt  but  some  insurance  is  made  for  me ;  and,  if  so,  I  do 
not  see  any  way  the  underwriters  can  escape  paying,  though  I  doubt 
not  they  will  try  hard  for  it.  But  whatever  subterfuges  or  cunning 
they  may  make  use  of  for  this  purpose  will  have  no  tendency  to 
lower  my  opinion  of  my  fellow-mortals.  After  the  villainy  I  have 
seen  practised  at  Tortola,  by  men  whose  power  and  riches  not  only 
give  them  a  cur'  ncy  among  the  most  respectable,  but  make  their 
society  even  com  ted,  1  blush  for  the  baseness  of  mankind,  and  al- 
most lament  that  I  am  one  of  the  same  species. 

*'  I  see  by  the  papers  that  William  has  returned,  and,  while  I  re- 
joice that  he  is  safe  and  well,  I  cannot  help  fearing  he  has  not  sue* 
ceeded  according  to  his  expectations,  or  he  would  not  have  returned 
so  soon,  as  his  ship  was  well  fitted  for  a  much  longer  absence;  but 
it  is,  doubtless,  all  for  the  best  You  will,  perhaps,  wonder  at  thia 
observation  from  me  at  the  moment  when  I  am  suffering  such  accu- 
raulated  misfortunes;  but  continued  resources  present  themselves, 
and,  if  I  am  not  under  the  necessity  of  hanging  o!i  ray  friends,  all 
will  soon  be  right  again.  If  I  have  the  delight  (  f  finding  you  and 
the  boy  well  I  shall  soon  forget  my  sorrows,  and  two  or  three  months 
at  home  will  repay  an  age  of  care." 

His  summing-up  of  the  events  of  this  outrage,  aa 
given  in  his  published  "  Narrative,"  is  so  graphic  and 
pathetic  that  I  give  it  in  full : 

"Having  settled  my  accounts  and  secured  my  appeal  papers,  I 
left  Tortola  on  the  25th  of  May,  mor^  than  a  month  from  the  date 
of  my  arrival.  During  that  month  scarce  a  day  had  passed  in  which 
I  was  not  subjected  to  some  angry  altercation,  some  unnecessary 
provocation,  some  feverish  excitement  from  my  opponents,  or  somo 
trouble  and  anxiety  from  complaints  and  uneasiness  of  the  officers 


A  SUMMARY  OF  TRIALS. 


121 


and  crew  of  our  ship;  and  this  under  the  scorching  influence  of  a 
vertical  suu.  But  I  had  the  happiness  to  escape  the  fever,  which 
this  combination  of  causes  was  calculated  to  produce,  and  to  retain 
my  health.  As  I  left  the  harbor,  on  my  way  to  St.  Thomas,  I  passed 
near  the  I'eUmaco,  which  lay  there  by  virtue  of  the  right  of  the  strong 
over  the  weak.  The  distinction  between  this  act  of  piracy  and  those 
of  a  like  character  by  the  ancient  buccaneers  must  be  perceived  to 
consist  alone  in  the  circumstance  that  the  former  is  sanctioned  by 
kindred  banditti,  termed  a  vice -admiralty  court,  and  the  latter 
were  too  magnanimous  to  practise  such  hypocrisy.  The  annals  of 
the  times,  however,  were  fertile  in  the  details  of  such  atrocious  inva- 
sions of  the  rights  of  neutrals,  the  one  party  justifying  its  thefts  by 
those  of  the  other. 

"To  have  practised  the  self-denial  incident  to  leaving  ray  family 
for  so  long  a  time;  to  have  succeeded  in  reaching  Rio  Janeiro  after 
being  dismasted  and  suffering  all  the  toils  and  anxieties  of  a  voyage 
of  forty-three  days  in  that  cnppled  condition;  to  have  surmounted 
the  numerous  obstacles  and  risks  aitenc'aM  i,  on  the  peculiarity  of  the 
transactions  in  port;  to  have  accomplished  the  business  of  lading 
and  despatching  the  vessels,  in  defiance  of  great  obstacles,  and  to 
perceive  the  fortune  almost  within  my  grasp  which  would  secure 
me  ease  and  independence  for  the  remainder  of  my  life— and  then, 
by  the  irresistible  means  of  brute  force,  to  sec  the  whole  swept  off, 
and  myself  and  family  thereby  reduced  in  a  moment  from  affluence 
to  poverty,  must  be  admitted  to  be  a  calamity  of  no  ordinary  magni- 
tude. It  required,  indeed,  the  exercise  of  great  fortitude  and  pa- 
tience, and  naturally  led  to  the  perception  of  the  truth  that  we  ex. 
perience  a  greater  amount  of  misery  from  the  evil  passions  of  our 
fellow-men  than  from  hurricanes,  lightning,  earthquakes,  and  the 
warring  elements  combined.  Fortunately  I  possessed  an  elasticity 
of  mind  which  adapted  itself  to  circumstances.  I  was  accustomed 
to  contend  with  difficulties,  and  disciplined  by  a  long  course  of  loss- 
es and  disappointments,  and,  when  suffering  under  them,  I  habitu- 
ally looked  round  for  the  means  to  remedy  them.  I  was  soon  ena- 
bled, therefore,  to  throw  off  much  of  the  weight  of  this  misfortune. 
Some  mitigation  of  its  effect  was  produced  by  the  hope  that  insur- 
ance on  the  property  might  have  been  effected,  and  that  the  A&pasia 
might  have  accomplished  her  voyage  successfully." 

6 


N 


.;      I 


123 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOil. 


Just  before  arriving  in  New  York  he  begins  a  letter, 
on  the  29th  of  June,  1807,  in  whicli  occurs  the  follow- 
ing passage : 

"  Although  my  misfortunes  are  of  f\  very  serious  nature,  yet  you 
need  not  fear  you  will  see  me  with  a  long  face  and  a  clouded  brow ; 
for,  whether  ruined  or  not,  tUe  prospect  of  meeting  you  and  the  dear 
boy  is  enough  to  dissipate  every  gloomy  idea;  and  if  I  find  you  both 
well,  and  can  possibly  stem  the  torrent  without  hanging  on  my 
friends,  I  will  bid  defiance  to  adversity.  Indeed,  I  am  astonished 
at  the  facility  with  which  the  mind  can  adapt  itself  to  circumstances; 
and  although,  before  experiencing  them,  I  was  doubtful  whether 
such  accumulated  misfortune  would  not  be  sufficient  to  drive  reason 
from  her  throne,  I  now  find  that,  so  far  from  it,  I  cat  as  well,  sleep 
as  well,  fee]  as  well,  and  can  set  about  remedying  the  evil  with  as 
much  spirit  as  I  ever  could  in  my  life.  I  am  a  little  apprehensive, 
however,  that  those  who  become  acquainted  with  the  extent  of  my 
misfortunes  will  say— if  not  openly,  at  least  secretly — '  That  man 
must  be  guilty  of  murder  or  some  dreadful  crime  to  be  so  particu- 
larly marked  for  chastisement. '  Bat  these  will  be  only  the  supersti- 
tious, and  we  will  convince  them  that  perseverance  and  enterprisQ 
will  overcome  the  greatest  obstacles." 

The  news  which  met  him  on  arrival  was  enough  to 
test  severely  his  determination  not  to  be  cast  down  by 
adversity,  and  his  first  letter  after  landing,  on  the  4th  of 
July,  shows  plainly  how  heavily  it  weighed  upon  his 
spirits.  The  account  he  gives  of  it  in  his  "  Narrative," 
however,  cannot  be  condensed  or  iniproved. 

Learning  that  his  cousin,  Stephen  Iligginson,  was  in 
town,  he  lost  no  time  in  seeking  him. 

"Bu.  it  was  hastening  only  to  be  the  earlier  acquainted  with  dis- 
asters even  greater  than  I  had  imagined.  On  naeeting  him,  I  per- 
ceived a  s})adow  cast  ovev  that  benevolent  countenance,  which  had 
hitherto  always  beamed  with  smiles  and  joy  when  meeting  me  after 
an  absence,  which  argued  but  too  clearly  that  my  worst  anticipa- 


TOTAL  LOSS  OF  ALL  HIS  PROPERTY. 


128 


tions  were  about  being  confirmed.  He  told  me  that,  in  conseqaenco 
of  some  new  orders  in  council  about  the  time  my  letters  were  re- 
ceived, desiring  insurance  to  be  made,  the  offices  became  so  alarmed 
that  it  could  not  be  effected  at  a  le3s  premium  than  thirty-three  and 
a  third  per  cent.,  which  my  friends  would  not  consent  to  give;  hence 
no  insurance  had  been  made  on  the  property,  and  the  loss  was  for 
account  of  Mr.  Shaler  and  myself. 

"Nor  was  this  all;  he  was  grieved  to  say  that  the  Aspasia  and 
cargo  were  also  a  total  loss.  The  melancholy  detail  was  that  she 
had  arrived  safe  at  K?vana  and  sold  the  cargo  at  |15  per  quintal, 
and  with  the  proceeds— about  $60,000— had  laden  with  coffee  and 
sugar  for  New  York;  that  when  off  Caps  Hatteras  a  gale  was  en- 
countered, in  which  she  was  thrown  on  her  beam-ends  and  half  filled 
with  water,  which  rained  the  cargo.  The  master,  Rogers,  was 
swept  away  and  lost,  and  she  finally  reached  Norfolk  in  a  most  dis- 
tressed state,  where  the  amount  of  all  that  was  saved  was  little  more 
than  enough  to  paj'  the  wages  of  the  men.  To  crown  the  whole, 
the  agent  in  New  York  had  not  been  informed  of  the  shipment  from 
Havana,  and  consequently  no  insurance  had  been  effected.  I  could 
not  imagine  any  addition  to  these  misfortunes  because  I  had  nothing 
more  at  risk,  yet  I  perceived  that  there  was  something  to  be  yet  un- 
folded. To  this  overwhelming  detail  was  yet  to  be  added  another 
item,  which  would  fill  my  cup  to  overfiowing  —  the  failure  of  a 
friend  and  relation  on  ^vhose  paper  I  was  an  endorser,  and  had  be- 
come responsible  for  $0000.  The  aggregate  of  these  losses,  estimat- 
ing the  value  of  the  Telemacd's  cargo  at  the  rate  at  which  the  Aspa- 
sia's  was  sold,  and  the  ship  at  what  was  paid  for  her,  and  independent 
of  all  profit  on  an  investment  of  the  funds  at  Havana  for  New  York, 
would  amount  to  $150,000.  All  doubts  relative  to  the  entire  pros- 
tration of  my  fortune  were  now  dissolved,  all  hope  of  there  being 
some  remnant  left  was  annihilated,  and  the  world  was  to  be  begun 
anew  under  the  pressure  of  increased  responsibilities.  But  the  re- 
flection that  no  part  of  the  property  was  on  credit,  that  I  had  not 
involved  others  in  my  losses,  was  eminently  consolatory.  And  the 
pleasing  contemplation  of  Cieeting  my  family  again  after  this  first 
and  long  absence  from  them,  and  before  having  experienced  any- 
thing of  the  inconvenience  and  embarrassment  resulting  from  such 
misfortunes,  combined  to  check  their  naturally  depressing  effect  on 
my  spirits. 


Is 


*1 

I 


L'*'i 


124 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


"  Those  who  have  found  sufficient  interest  in  the  preceding  pages 
to  be  induced  to  follow  me  in  my  subsequent  enterprises  will  find 
abundant  evidence  that  my  forebodings  were  fully  realized  in  the 
repeated,  long,  and  painful  sepamtions  from  those  whom  it  was  no 
less  my  duty  than  it  would  have  been  my  happiness  to  watch  over 
and  protect.  Compelled  to  navigate  for  the  support  of  my  family, 
and  deprived  in  consequence  of  superintending  the  education  of  my 
children,  worn  with  anxiety,  and  sick  at  heart  with  hope  deferred, 
it  will  be  seen  that  I  was  for  many  years  an  exile  from  all  that  ren- 
dered life  dear  and  desirable;  and  this  as  a  consequence  of  the  rob- 
bery of  my  hard-earned  fortune  by  Admiral  Cochrane.  If  his  en- 
joyment of  this  property,  so  wickedly  obtained,  bears  any  proportion 
to  the  years  of  suffering  caused  the  proprietor  by  its  loss,  it  affords 
the  strongest  presumptive  evidence  of  a  perversion  of  mind  which 
must  ^leet  its  correction  hereafter." 


a'. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

1808,  1809. 

The  Embargo.— Voyage  to  Africa.— Goes  to  England  in  Search  of 
Business.— Thence,  Secretly,  to  Holland,  and  Home  as  Bearer  of 
Despatches.— Voyage  to  Naples. — Vessel  and  Cargo  Seized  and 
Confiscated. — Life  at  Naples  and  Rome. 

The  year  1808  was  marked  in  commercial  annals  by 
the  embargo,  which  was  rendered  necessary  by  the  spo- 
liations of  the  English,  and  which  necessarily  put  a  stop 
to  all  nautical  enterprises  from  this  country.  Merchants 
who  had  ships  abroad  of  course  hastened  to  get  them 
home  before  the  enforcement  of  the  decree,  and  my  fa- 
ther was  employed  by  the  owners  of  a  Salem  vessel  to 
g<"'  in  search  of  her  to  the  coast  of  Africa  and  bring  Iier 
''i  D  without  delay.  The  latest  accounts  of  the  vessel 
WLie  that,  after  having  collected  a  rich  cargo,  the  cap- 
tain had  died,  and  the  mate  was  finishing  the  work  of 
disposing  of  what  remained  of  the  outward  cargo.  The 
errand  was  successfully  accomplished,  and  after  its  com- 
pletion he  took  passage,  via  Halifax,  for  England,  in 
order  to  place  himself  in  the  current  of  business  and  be 
ready  to  avail  himself  of  any  opportunity  that  might 
Oiier  a  prospect  of  lucrative  returns. 

Owing  to  adverse  winds  they  arrived  at  Halifax  too 
late  for  the  Falmouth  packet,  and  waited  a  fortnight 
for  an  opportunity  to  embark ;   then  sailed  in  a  brig 


=i 


n 


n 


1 

it 

ftff 

Hi 

■■■:>]'. 
ii'i 
\\  ■ 


tf-r 


126 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


bound  for  Locliraine,  on  the  Clyde,  where  he  arrived  on 
the  4th  of  October. 

From  thence  he  travelled  to  London  by  post,  "mak- 
ing the  journey  in  four  days,  with  a  degree  of  comfort, 
ease,  and  celerity  such  as,  probably,  could  not  be  expe- 
rienced at  the  time  in  any  other  country  in  the  world." 

The  number  of  Frenci  •  ,*.3  which  had  been  brought 
into  Plymouth,  and  the  c  isequent  abundance  and 
cheapness  of  French  wines,  suggested  the  advantage  of 
taking  a  cargo  of  them  to  the  Isle  of  France ;  and,  while 
in  doubt  as  to  the  means  of  accomplishing  it,  he  met 
accidentally  with  a  friend  just  arrived  in  a  fine  ship  for 
which  he  liad  no  fixed  destination.  Entering  into  ar- 
rangements with  him,  they  purchased  a  quantity  of 
wine,  and  had  nearly  completed  the  preparations  for 
taking  it  on  board  when  they  were  forced  to  abandon  it 
by  the  enactment  of  some  new  regulations  which  pre- 
vented their  obtaining  the  requisite  clearance,  without 
which  insurance  could  not  be  effected.  During  this 
period  he  writes  as  follows:  .    ,  ,     . 

"Lo'NBO^,  December  Id,  1S08. 
"While  waiting  for  the  decision  of  the  commissioners  of  excise 
relative  to  our  business,!  have  filled  up  the  time  as  much  as  possible 
in  visiting  the  various  objects  most  worthy  the  stranger's  attention, 
particularly  those  I  did  not  see  when  I  was  formerly  here,  such  as 
the  British  Museum,  several  private  exhibitions  of  wonderful  mech- 
anism; Greenwich,  the  Magdalen,  and  Foundling  hospitals;  and 
Mr.  West's  collection  of  paintings.  I  was  introduced  to  Mr.  West, 
a  good-looking  man  between  fifty  and  sixty,  whose  placid  counte- 
nance indicates  a  mind  that  has  not  been  agitated  by  the  passions 
with  which  mankind  are  generally  afflicted  from  jarring  interests 
and  the  necessary  intercourse  with  each  other.  I  soon  discovered 
that  ho  had  a  correct  way  of  thinking  on  politics,  and  therefore 


LETTER  FROM  LONDON. 


127 


had  a  long  conversation  with  him  on  the  subject.  As,  from  his  pro- 
fession and  studies,  he  must  be  totally  unprejudiced,  and  must  nec- 
essarily view  the  subject  on  the  grand  scale,  unbiassed  by  any  of 
those  mean  considerations  which  lead  the  generality  of  mankind  to 
subscribe  to  one  opinion  in  preference  to  another,  you  will  naturally 
suppose  I  was  delighted  to  perceive  how  we  harmonized.  Notwith- 
standing he  admits  the  troubles  of  Europe  to  have  been  great  for 
these  several  years  past,  he  thinks  them  as  nothing  compared  to 
what  they  will  be,  and  he  considers  the  embargo  in  America  as  the 
wisest  measure  the  government  could  have  adopted,  and  the  only 
preventive  to  her  participating  in  the  calamities  with  which  Eu- 
rope is  aflBicted.  Ruin  to  some  and  great  inconvenience  to  all  the 
commercial  interests  must  doubtless  result  from  it,  but  he  was  clear- 
ly of  opinion  that  it  was  the  least  of  two  evils,  the  only  wise  measure 
that  could  have  been  adopted,  and  ought  to  be  persisted  in. 

"Indeed,  my  dear,  after  the  rejection  ])y  this  government  of  the 
proposals  made  by  Mr.  Pinckney,  which  you  will  learn  by  the  Hope, 
it  is  my  opinion  that  those  who  are  desirous  of  having  the  embargo 
raised  know  not  the  interests  of  their  country,  or,  knowing  them 
and  continuing  in  the  desire,  are  not  worthy  the  name  of  Americans. 
But  those,  I  believe,  will  be  few.  After  the  election  is  decided,  I 
have  no  doubt  the  Federals  will  agree  to  the  wisdom  of  the  measures. 

"But  enough  of  politics.  Shaler  left  here  for  Holland  about  a 
month  before  my  arrival.  I  regretted  exceedingly  not  having  fallen 
in  with  him,  because  I  wished  him  to  have  been  interested  in  my 
present  expedition,  though,  if  it  should  prove  unsuccessful,  I  should 
regret  much  that  he  was  engaged  in  it,  so  that  I  have  less  anxiety. 
I  have  not  yet  heard  from  him,  although  I  have  written  him  two  or 
three  times.  He  thinks  Df  returning  to  America  in  the  spring,  and 
I  hope  he  will  make  you  a  visit  at  Lancaster. 

"I  have  given  George  sketches  of  several  expeditions,  with  the 
view  that,  if  affairs  continue  as  they  are,  he  may  take  advantage  of 
them  by  coming  to  this  country  and  placing  himself  in  fortune's 
way.  William  will  doubtless  remain  at  home,  if  not  till  my  return, 
at  least  till  he  knows  the  issue  of  my  voyage ;  for,  if  we  obtain  the 
clearance  I  expect  to  have,  I  flatter  myseif  I  shall  make  enough  to 
secure  us  both  against  the  necessity  of  ever  leaving  our  dear  wives 
again."  ;     .    .  ■    ;   '         - 


I 


[ 


128 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


The  disappointment  of  being  forced  to  abandon  this 
voyage  was  great,  as  he  had  formed  sanguine  liopes  of 
very  lucrative  results;  but  its  force  was  in  some  degree 
mitigated  by  an  advance  in  the  price  of  wines  which 
secured  a  very  considerable  profit  on  a  resale  of  those 
they  had  purchased. 

While  on  his  way  to  Plymouth  to  attend  to  this  busi 
iiess  he  was  attacked  with  pleurisy  at  Exeter,  and  had 
a  very  narrow  escape  from  death,  which  would  proba- 
bly have  resulted,  but  for  the  attentions  of  his  friends 
in  London,  in  sending  an  experienced  nurse,  to  whose 
care  he  always  felt  himself  indebted  for  his  life.  The 
effect  of  this  was  so  serious  that  his  recovery  was  de- 
layed, and  he  was  urged  by  his  physician  to  seek  a 
milder  climate  till  his  health  was  fully  restored. 

From  the  window  of  his  sick-room  in  Exeter,  before 
he  was  well  enough  to  be  removed  to  Loudon,  he  saw 
the  remnant  of  the  army  just  landed  at  Plymouth  from 
Corunna,  after  the  memorable  retreat  under  Sir  John 
Moore,  wlio  was  killed  on  the  eve  of  its  embarkation, 
and  I  have  often  heard  him  speak  with  much  feeling 
of  the  utterly  wretched  and  woebegone  appearance  they 
presented  as  they  passed  through  the  town. 

His  letters  from  London,  during  the  whole  period  of 
his  prolonged  detention,  betray  continually  his  affec- 
tionate nature  and  his  longings  for  home,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  activity  of  his  mind  in  studying  and  de- 
vising means  for  retrieving  his  fortune,  to  the  end  that 
he  might  secure  the  gratification  he  so  coveted.  The 
following  extract  from  a  single  letter  may  serve  as  a 
sample  of  the  tone  which  pervades  them  all ; 


PROJECTED  VOYAGES. 


129 


"  London,  ^pni  29, 1809. 

*' Another  opp«  tuaity  for  America  enables  me  to  assure  you  that 

I  am  now  quite  strong,  and  even  in  better  flesh  than  before  my  ill* 

ness. 

*       '       *  »  •  «  *  * 

"  On  the  receipt  of  a  letter  of  this  late  date,  you  will  wonder  if  I 
never  intend  leaving  London,  and  what  charms  I  find  to  keep  mo 
here.  Indeed,  my  dear,  if  no  other  enjoyment  was  found  than  I 
have  experienced  here,  few  strangers  would  visit  it  to  wear  off  their 
ennui.  It  is  to  be  presumed,  however,  that  those  who  oome  here 
for  that  purpose  have  minds  more  at  ease  than  that  of  your  husband. 

"  Neither  would  I  be  understood  to  imply  that  I  have  not  partaken 
of  many  of  the  recreations  this  great  city  affords;  but  wliile  admir- 
ing the  wonderful  powers  of  a  Siddons  or  a  Kemble  in  tragedy,  the 
fine  music  and  dancing  at  the  opera,  the  perfect  deception  of  somo 
of  the  panoramas,  etc.,  the  enjoyment  has  always  been  dampened 
by  the  reflection  on  my  pecuniary  embarrassments,  and  the  conse- 
quence which  follows  as  its  shadow — the  necessity  of  absence  from 
home  and  the  domestic  enjoyments — compared  with  which  every- 
thing this  gay  city  can  offer  is  as  'dust  in  the  balance.*  While 
speaking  of  theatres,  I  believe  I  have  not  told  you  that  the  two 
great  ones  of  London,  Covent  Garden  and  Drury  Lane,  have  been 
destroyed  by  fire,  the  former  about  a  month  before  my  arrival,  the 
latter  while  I  was  at  Exeter,  and,  as  a  consequence,  a  great  many  in- 
dustrious people  have  been  thrown  out  of  employment,  and  a  great 
many  idle  ones  disappointed  of  their  accustomed  amusement. 

"  I  had  flattered  myself  with  the  hope  that  by  this  opportunity  I 
should  have  been  able  to  inform  you  what  plan  I  intended  pursuing, 
but  am  sorry  to  say  I  am  as  yet  unable  to  do  so.  I  have  several  ob- 
jects in  view;  but  such  are  the  changes  in  the  disposition  of  the 
governments  of  the  two  great  belligerents  towards  America,  such 
orders  and  counter-orders,  decrees  and  revocations,  that  the  plan  de- 
termined on  to-day  must  be  abandoned  to-morrow.  I  am  thinking 
of  charteriug  a  vessel  for  the  Baltic,  there  to  lade  with  Russian  manu- 
factures for  America.  This  speculation  on  a  large  capital  would 
give  a  very  handsome  return,  but  on  so  small  an  amount  as  I  can 
control  it  would  be  but  a  bare  living.  A  voyage  to  the  Isle  of 
France  is  almost  the  only  one  not  affected  by  the  raising  of  the  em- 
6* 


'^ 


I 


•f 


Mi 


.  J 


I'M 


^1  lis 

•i  S    if! 


U  1 


rt'P 


'i- 


H  hi 


130 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


bargo,  which  can  be  prosecuted  with  much  chance  of  success.  This, 
to  be  undertaken  from  hence  in  a  swift  sailing-vessel  with  such  a 
cargo  as  could  be  easily  procured,  would  give  an  immense  profit, 
but  as  the  island  is  declared  iu  a  state  of  blockade,  it  can  only  be 
undertaken  in  a  vessel  that  can  be  depended  on  for  lier  superior 
sailing,  and  such  are  not  always  to  be  met  with.  If  I  go  to  Russia 
and  meet  with  no  accidents,  I  shall  be  with  you  in  August  or  Sep- 
tember. If  I  pursue  the  other  plan,  it  will  probably  absorb  another 
year;  but  I  need  not  assure  you  how  earnestly  I  wish  the  time  of 
our  separation  passed;  how  much  I  long  t^  jee  you  and  all  the 
cheerful  circle  at  home.  It  is,  indeed,  cruel  and  mortifying  to  be 
obliged  to  wander  from  such  a  home,  after  making  such  exertions 
and  sacrifices  as  I  have  made;  yet,  even  among  the  small  circle  of 
Americans  no  w  here,  I  can  look  round  and  see  several  (perhaps 
more  deserving  than  myself)  who  have  greater  cause  to  complain 
of  Fortv ".,.  It  is  doubtless  best  to  endeavor  to  persuade  ourselves 
that  it  is  all  right;  but  it  is  no  easy  task." 

Before  lie  recovered  his  strength  snfficiently  to  at- 
tempt the  execution  of  any  of  these  pkns,  a  new  one 
presented  itself  which  seemed  sufficiently  promising  to 
warrant  the  necessary  risk  attending  it.  This  was  the 
taking  of  a  cargo  from  Holland  to  the  United  States. 
The  diflSculty  was  in  getting  from  England  to  Holland 
at  the  time  when  all  the  Continental  powers  had  been 
compelled  by  Napoleon  to  unite  in  cutting  off  all  inter- 
course with  Great  Britain. 

It  was  impossible  openly  to  evade  such  restriction, 
and  the  risk  was,  of  course,  very  great  in  attempting  it 
secretly,  but  perhaps  for  that  very  reason  all  the  more 
tempting  to  one  of  such  adventurous  disposition. 

With  his  usual  caution  he  refrained  from  mention- 
ing iu  his  letters  anything  that  could  afford  a  clew  to 
his  real  design,  but  merely  tells  his  wife  that  lie  was 
about  undertaking  a  journey  for  which  he  required  only 


SECRET  LANDING  IN  UOLLAND. 


131. 


what  baggage  he  could  carry  in  his  hand^  and  had  theie- 
fore  shipped  his  trunks  on  a  vessel  bound  for  Boston, 
and  hoped,  ere  long,  to  follow  them  in  person.  He  then, 
in  company  with  a  friend  who  had  been  associated  with 
him  in  the  purchase  and  sale  of  the  wine,  embarked  on 
board  a  fishing-smack  the  master  of  which  had  agreed 
to  land  them  on  the  coast  of  Holland.  Approaching 
the  shore  on  a  still  night,  and  after  listening  for  a  time 
to  make  sure  they  were  unobserved,  they  were  landed 
between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock  among  the  sand 
dunes  of  the  coast  near  The  Brielle.  The  skipper  had 
given  them  careful  instructions  as  to  their  course,  and 
they  made  their  way  towards  t!ie  town  till  they  could 
hear  the  clocks  striking,  and  then  waited  for  daylight  in 
a  hollow  of  the  hills  of  sand. 

At  dawn  they  were  aroused  by  a  trampling  which 
they  were  apprehensive  might  be  tlio  patrol,  but  which 
proved  to  be  only  a  herd  of  cows  driven  by  a  boy  who 
was  greatly  alarmed  at  seeing  them,  but  was  speedily 
pacified,  and  directed  them  to  an  inn,  where  they  were 
cordially  welcomed  by  the  host  and  hostess,  who  had 
no  sympathy  with  the  rigorous  exclusion  of  strangers. 
After  a  good  breakfast  and  careful  instructions  from 
the  landlord,  they  went  with  a  crowd  of  passengers  on 
board  a  canal-boat,  and  proceeded  without  molestation 
to  Amsterdam. 

Tliey  found  at  once  that  their  expectation  of  largo 
profits  on  the  exports  of  Holland  to  the  United  States 
would  be  realized  if  they  could  succeed  in  despatching 
a  cargo  before  the  1st  of  July,  when  the  English  govern- 
ment had  given  notice  that  a  blockade  would  commence. 


t 


,i 


\i 


I 
1 


M  \ 


132 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


With  tlie  aid  of  an  influential  mercantile  house  this  was 
accomplished.  A  ship  was  chartered,  loaded,  and  de- 
spatched to  New  York  before  the  blockade  began.  She 
arrived  safely,  and  the  results  of  the  voyage  were  quite 
equal  to  their  anticipations.  He  had  intended  taking 
passage  for  homo  in  this  ship,  but  meeting  in  Amster- 
dam with  his  old  friend  Shaler,  he  was  induced  to  re- 
main in  order  to  unite  with  him  in  the  execution  of  a 
plan  which  promised  an  immense  result,  but  which  they 
were  forced  to  abandon  in  consequence  of  the  combined 
obstacles  of  the  invasion  of  the  Scheldt  by  a  formidable 
force  under  Lord  Chatham,  and  a  general  embargo  in 
Holland. 

This  seemed  to  cut  off  the  possibility  even  of  egress 
from  the  country  except  by  land ;  but  fortunately  the 
American  minister  to  France.  General  Armstrong,  was 
then  on  a  visit  to  Holland,  and  being  desirous  of  send- 
ing despatches  to  his  government,  obtained  the  release 
of  the  ship  JHoniesicma,  of  Baltimore,  from  tlie  embargo, 
and  my  father  took  passage  in  her  for  that  port  as 
bearer  of  despatches.  The  ship  being  in  ballast,  no 
cause  existed  for  detention  by  British  cruisers ;  but  they 
had  proceeded  but  little  way  from  port  before  they 
were  boarded  from  a  frigate  with  the  inquiry  why  they 
were  released  from  the  embargo. 

On  being  informed  that  it  was  by  special  permission, 
at  the  request  of  the  American  minister,  who  wished 
to  send  despatches  to  the  United  States  of  which  my 
father  was  the  bearer,  the  officer  desired  him  to  ac- 
company the  captain  of  the  Montezuma  on  board  the 
frigate,  taking  with  him  the  despatches.    This  was  de- 


RETURNS  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


133 


clined,  as  was  also  the  request  to  send  the  dcspatclies 
on  board  by  the  captain.  The  boarding  officer  then 
threatened  to  use  compulsion.  By  this  time  the  frigate 
had  drawn  near  and  was  hailed  by  the  boarding  officer, 
who  informed  his  superior  that  there  was  a  bearer  of 
despatches  to  the  United  States  government  on  board 
who  refused  to  leave  the  ship  or  give  up  the  despatches 
except  on  compulsion. 

"  Then  let  him  stay  and  bo  damned,"  was  the  reply, 
and  the  ship's  papers  being  found  to  be  in  order,  they 
were  permitted  to  proceed  on  their  course. 
"  They  arrived  in  Baltimore  on  the  3d  of  November, 
after  a  long  and  stormy  passage,  and  my  father  having 
Buffered  greatly  from  a  bilious  fever,  contracted  by  too 
early  an  exposure  to  the  damp  atmosphere  of  Holland 
after  his  severe  illness  at  Exeter,  was  too  feeble  to  go 
to  Washington,  and  accordingly  delivered  the  despatches 
to  the  collector  of  the  port  to  be  forwarded. 

After  waiting  a  day  or  two  in  Baltimore  to  recruit, 
he  proceeded  by  easy  stages  to  his  home  in  Lancaster, 
Massachusetts,  where  he  arrived  on  the  12th  of  Novem- 
ber in  a  weak  and  emaciated  condition. 

One  month  later,  on  the  3d  of  December,  1 809,  he  again 
left  his  home  on  a  new  excursion  to  Europe,  induced  by 
the  first  intelligence  of  a  departure  from  the  rigid  ex- 
clusion of  foreign  commerce,  which  had  so  long  been 
maintained.  The  port  of  Naples  was  opened  to  neutral 
commerce  with  such  appearance  of  good  faith  that  in- 
surance on  adventures  there  could  be  effected  at  reason- 
able rates. 

He  immediately  went  to  Boston  and  purchased  tlie 


VI 


;■» 


( 


i  ?  f . 


M 


134 


VOYAGES  OF  A   MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


schooner  Maria,  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  tons,  and 
took  on  board  a  valuable  cargo  for  account  of  mer- 
chants in  Boston,  on  condition  of  receiving  half  profits 
in  lieu  of  freight. 

Ho  arrived  safely  at  Naples,  and  was  subjected  to  a 
very  long  quarantine ;  the  tedium  of  which  was  relieved 
by  the  information  that  no  article  of  his  cargo  would 
produce  less  than  one  hundred  per  cent,  profit,  and  this 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  before  the  term  of  quar- 
antine had  expired  upward  of  thirty  vessels  arrived 
from  the  United  States,  aUnrcd  by  the  flattering  pros- 
pect presented  by  the  opening  of  a  port  which  had  so 
long  been  closed.  3 

•  But  by  a  refinement  of  baseness  and  cruelty  to  which 
it  would  be  hard  to  find  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the 
civilized  world,  the  game  being  thus  enticed  within  the 
power  of  Napoleon,  the  net  was  sprung,  and  every  ves- 
sel was  seized  and  confiscated.  Without  even  the  for- 
mality of  a  trial  the  cargoes  were  taken  out  and  sold, 
together  with  the  vessels,  in  the  most  hurried  manner 
and  for  prompt  payment. 

My  father's  reflections  upon  the  moral  aspect  of  this 
robbery  as  compared  with  that  he  had  previously  suf- 
fered at  the  hands  of  Lord  Cochrane  are  such  as  would 
occur  to  any  upright  mind  in  comparing  the  act  of  the 
highwayman  who  demands  your  money  at  the  muzzle 
of  a  pistol  with  that  of  the  swindler  who  robs  you  un- 
der the  form  of  law. 

In  the  first  case  there  is  no  prostitution  of  common- 
sense  and  common  honesty  in  seeking  for  a  cause  of 
condemnation  whicli  is  already  determined  on.     In  the 


NAPLES  AND   ROME. 


135 


second  there  is  a  hypocritical  pretence  of  seeking  jus- 
tice by  the  formality  of  a  trial,  where  in  reality  the  case 
is  prejudged. 

In  this  abominable  transaction  there  is  no  doubt  the 
great  mover  was  Napoleon,  whoso  mandate  Murat  had 
not  the  moral  courage  to  disobey,  preferring  the  dis- 
honor and  infamy  of  such  treachery  to  the  momentary 
displeasure  of  the  emperor.  There  were  a  great  num- 
ber of  people  at  Naples  who  were  desirous  of  provid- 
ing themselves  with  many  articles  of  tlie  various  car- 
goes, but  w^ere  deterred  by  conscientious  scruples  from 
purchasing  at  the  government  sales,  being  convinced 
that  the  "receiver  is  as  bad  as  the  thief." 

Being  thus  involuntarily  relieved  of  business,  and 
finding  no  immediate  opportunity  of  returning  to  the 
United  States,  he  improved  the  opportunity  for  visiting 
and  inspecting  the  numerous  interesting  localities  and 
objects  in  the  vicinity  of  Naples,  and  then  went  to 
Rome,  where  he  passed  several  weeks.  All  these  scenes 
are  now  so  familiar  to  thousands  of  our  country  men 
and  women  that  it  is  diflScult  to  realize  the  fact  that, 
even  within  the  memory  of  many  who  are  still  living, 
the  man  who  i  ad  actually  visited  and  examined  them 
was  regarded  vrith  wonder  and  interest.  In  all  my  boy- 
ish days  I  reraeiriber  that  the  portfolios  of  plates  of 
Naples,Yesuviu8,  Pompeii,  and  Home  which  he  brought 
home  with  him  were  a  source  of  untiring  interest  to 
visitors  at  our  pleasant  Lancaster  home,  and  many  pleas- 
ant associations  of  my  early  days  were  touched  when 
they  finally  perished  in  the  great  fire  of  Chicago.  Of 
liis  experiences  while  visiting  these  places  he  gives  a 


«i 


f«, 


t  i 


11 


rBBHKnI 


!    ! 


136 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


detailed  description  in  a  closely  written  manuscript  of 
more  than  fifty  pages  of  letter-sheet,  prepared  for  my 
motlier's  gratification,  in  so  pleasant  and  graphic  a  style 
that  it  might  well  take  its  place  among  the  best  ac- 
counts that  have  been  given  of  tljo  now  familiar  scenes. 
It  is  rare  that  even  a  single  expression  betrays  the  fact 
that  his  mind  was  oppressed  with  the  sense  of  his  disap- 
pointment, while  it  evinces  throughout  a  keen  appre- 
ciation of  the  poetic  associations  which  hallowed  every 
object. 

It  would  be  idle,  however,  at  this  day,  to  quote  his 
descriptions,  and  I  shall  give  only  an  occasional  extract 
which  may  serve  to  illustrate  his  own  character. 

The  following  is  from  his  earliest  account  of  Naples : 

"  The  jihore  from  the  foot  of  Vesuvius,  where  is  situated  the  town 
of  Portici,  qwi^o  to  the  city  of  Naples,  presents  a  continued  line  of 
villas,  palaces,  and  houses,  and  Naples  rising  in  amphitheatre,  till  in 
one  direction  it  terminates  in  the  magnificent  castle  of  St.  Elmo,  and 
in  another  that  of  the  palace  of  Cabo  di  Monti,  is  impressive  of 
riches,  grandeur,  and  strength. 

"A  Varther  acquaintance,  however,  with  Naples  will  considerably 
lessen  such  impressions;  but  such  acquaintance  cannot  be  made  by 
those  who  come  by  sea,  till  they  have  done  penance  in  the  perform- 
ance of  a  ted-'ous  quarantine.  Ours,  in  consequence  of  having  cot- 
ton goods  on  board,  exceeded  forty  days.  After  a  passage  across  the 
Atlantic  and  Mediterranean  seas,  to  be  confined  so  long  on  board 
our  vessel  after  arrival  would  be  tedious  even  with  bright  prospects 
in  view,  but  when  instead  of  the  3e  we  had  no  other  than  total  loss 
of  property,  and  possibly  imprisonment,  they  were  gloomy  indeed. 
Could  I  have  foreseen  the  issue  I  should  certainly  ha\u  attempted 
to  make  my  escape,  and  have  no  doubt  I  could  have  effected  it  with 
less  risk  than  we  ran  in  the  Lelia  Byrd  in  passing  tLb  fort  at  San 
Diego;  but  while  I  had  the  opportunity  (which  was  for  ten  days 
after  my  arrival),  our  affairs  had  not  assumed  bo  decisive  and  seri- 


NAPLES. 


137 


0U8  an  aspect,  and  I  was  afterwards  deteired  from  making  tlie  at- 
tempt by  the  reflection  that  in  case  of  failure  (should  American 
property  be  restored),  I  should  forfeit  both  property  and  insurance. 
A  few  days  after  being  released  from  quarantine  I  took  rooms  oppo- 
site the  beautiful  public  walk  called  Villa  Real.  This  walk  is  con- 
siderably longer  and  broader  than  the  Mall  in  Boston.  The  trees 
are  yet  small ;  but  there  are  many  flowering  shrubs,  and  the  whole 
place  is  kept  extremely  clean  and  in  good  order. 

"As  you  know  I  am  no  inconsiderable  pedestrian,  you  will  natu- 
rally suppose  I  have  spent  much  time  here;  indeed,  many  is  the 
hour  that  I  have  traced  and  retraced  my  solitary  steps  on  this  walk, 
and  thought  of  home  and  its  enjoyments,  of  my  distance  from  it, 
and  the  possibility  that  a  war  might  lengthen  the  time  of  my  sepa- 
ration from  those  nearest  my  heart  for  an  indefinite  period." 

I  give  but  a  single  extract  from  one  of  many  descrip- 
tions of  excursions  in  the  neighborhood  of  Naples : 


''^ 


.-■  ■ 


"We  had  a  fatiguing  march  to  gain  the  summit  of  the  promon- 
tory (of  lllsenum),  but  were  repaid  by  a  most  delightful  view.  The 
day  was  pleasant  (22d  April),  and  the  atmosphere  very  clear,  so  that 
we  could  see  the  town  of  Gaeta  and  the  little  island  of  Ponza,  the 
Apennines  covered  with  snow.  These  were  the  most  distant  objects. 
Nearer,  we  had  a  view  of  Vesuvius,  the  Castle  of  St.  Elmo,  Pozzuoli, 
Solfatara,  Monte  Nuovo,  the  Lake  of  Fusaro,  the  islands  of  Ischia, 
Procida,  and  Capri,  and  the  Bay  of  Naples.  The  prospect  from  this 
hill  has  been  spoken  of  in  extravagant  terms  by  r  11  those  travellers 
who  have  taken  the  pains  to  ascend  it.  It  is  certainly  beautiful ;  but 
that  from  the  dome  of  the  State  House  in  Boston  in  the  month  of 
June,  in  my  opinion,  surpasses  it. 

"  There  is  not  so  much  of  the  grand  and  terrific  to  admire,  it  is 
true ;  but  instead  of  a  country  which  has  the  appearance  of  a  stormy 
ocean,  and  where  the  valleys  only  are  cultivated,  cure,  in  every  di- 
rection, presents  a  picture  of  the  most  luxuriant  fertility;  instead  of 
the  silence  and  gloom  which  reigns  in  the  bay  and  ports,  ours  is  ac- 
tivity and  uueerfulness;  in  fine,  instead  of  old  age  and  decrepitude, 
ours  is  youth,  vigor,  and  gayety.  That  such  an  opinion  would  be 
considered  that  of  a  stupid  and  prejudiced  blockhead  by  those  whoso 


I  I 


ii  i 


I  ii  I 


188 


VOYAGE?  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


minds  are  impressed  by  the  beauty  of  the  Elysian  Fields  and  its 
neighborhood  from  the  accounts  given  by  Virgil  in  the  ^neid  I  am 
perfectly  aware,  but  as  they  will  probably  remain  uninformed  of 
my  having  held  such  heretical  opinions  I  shall  give  myself  no  un- 
easiness  about  it.  The  cape  and  promontory  of  Miscnum  takes  its 
name  from  one  Misenus,  a  companion  of  ^ncas,  who  died  and  was 
ouried  here,  as  the  poet  thus  relates: 

" '  The  good  ^neas  ordered  on  the  shore 
A  stately  tomb,  whose  top  a  trumpet  bore, 
A  soldier's  falchion,  and  a  seaman's  oar. 
Thus  was  his  friend  interred,  and  doubtless  fame 
Still  to  the  lofty  cape  consigns  his  name.' 

"It  was  along  this  coast — Misenum,  Baia,  etc. — that  the  Homaa 
grandees  had  their  villas.  Here,  from  the  salubrity  of  the  climate, 
the  hot  baths,  and  probably  also  from  that  attraction  so  conspicuous 
at  Ballstown,  to  see  and  he  seen,  crowds  of  strangers  as  well  as  the  neigh- 
boring inhabitants  used  to  resort.  It  is  the  residence  which  Clodius 
reproached  Cicero  for  occupying,  as  being  little  calculated  for  a 
philosopher,  and  where  Propertius  forbid  his  daughter  Cynthia's  go- 
ing, as  being  dangerous  for  the  innocence  of  young  persons.  Riiins 
and  ashes  are  all  that  remain  of  former  magnificence  and  splendor." 

From  Naples  he  went  with  two  companions  to  Rome, 
making  the  journey  in  a  carriage  drawn  by  mules,  and 
spending  three  days  on  the  road. 

His  descriptions  of  the  wonders  of  that  city  are 
marked  by  the  same  graphic  and  simple  character  which 
distinguish  his  writings.     He  concludes  as  follows  : 

"  Though  a  residence  of  a  few  weeks  in  such  a  city  as  Rome  is 
enough  to  give  some  travellers  (even  though  unacquainted  with  the 
language)  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  character,  disposition,  man- 
ners, amusements,  etc.,  of  the  inhabitants,  I  confess  to  you  I  am  not 
one  of  the  number,  for  even  if  my  penetration  were  as  great,  my 
naturally  reserved  habits  would  be  a  preventive,  and  you  will, 
therefore,  be  satisfied  with  my  mentioning  a  few  peculiarities  in 
their  customs  which  came  immediately  within  my  observation. 


ROME. 


139 


"  We  took  no  other  introductory  letter  than  one  to  a  rich  banker 
(the  Duke  of  Torlonia),  at  -whose  house  we  were,  of  courci,  invited 
to  dine.  At  table  everything  was  conducted  much  as  in  other  parts 
of  the  civilized  world;  but  judge  of  our  surprise  at  the  meanness  of 
the  master  who  could  suffer  his  servant  to  come  to  our  lodgings  a 
few  days  after  to  inform  us  that  he  had  the  honor  of  waiting  on  us 
at  dinner  the  other  day !  in  other  words,  that  the  master  drew  upon 
a  dinner  he  gave  to  strangers  for  the  purpose  of  paying  his  servant's 
wages.  What  a  disgusting  custom !  But  it  is  even  practised  at  the 
governor's,  where  we  were  invited  to  a  ball,  and  a  day  or  two  after 
the  servants  called  for  their  fee! 

"The  beaux  and  belles  of  Rome  have  their  Corso  as  well  as  those 
of  Naples,  where  they  ride  every  evening,  and,  returning,  stop  for 
half  an  hour  at  the  Plaza  del  Popolo,  to  see  and  be  seen.  Such  is 
the  all-commanding  power  of  custom  or  fashion,  here  as  elsewhere, 
that,  notwithstanding  the  numerous  beautiful  gardens  in  the  vicinity 
of  Rome  where  they  might  either  ride  or  walk  free  from  annoyance, 
they  prefer  driving  to  and  fro  on  the  crowded  Coiso,  where  tlioy 
sometimes  risk  suffocation  from  the  clouds  of  'IurI.  A  peculiarity 
in  the  funerals,  both  at  Naples  and  Rome,  I  ^  observed  in  no 
other  part  of  the  world ;  I  mean  that  of  dressing  the  corpse  in  tho 
best  apparel  and  carrying  it  through  tlie  streets  on  a  bier  exposed  to 
the  view  of  every  one.    It  is  a  disgusting  custom. 

"Foreigners  have  always  found  the  beggars  of  Italy  very  trouble- 
some, though  less  so  at  Rome  than  at  Naples.  The  late  revolution 
in  the  fortunes  of  the  cardinals  and  higher  orders  of  the  clergy  has 
thrown  upon  the  world  a  crowd  of  their  domestics  and  dependants, 
and  we  were  frequently  asked  chc  ity  in  the  most  pressing  manner 
by  well-dressed  people  of  both  sexes,  whose  exterior  and  address 
evinced  that  they  had  seen  better  days. 

"No  one  acquainted  with  the  history  of  Rome  who  sees  it  at 
the  present  day  can  help  reflecting  on  tho  vicissitude  of  all  earthly 
things.  A  city  whose  population  was  once  counted  by  millions, 
now  possessing  only  about  one  hundred  thousand  and  rapidly  de- 
clining; whose  former  inhabitants,  commanded  by  warlike  emperors 
and  generals, were  irresistible  in  the  field,  and  gave  laws  to  the  world; 
whose  present,  governed  by  a  pope,  priests,  and  monks,  are  finally 
the  slaves  of  one  of  their  former  provinces.    The  present  rulers, 


I 


11' 


i!i3 


1 


mmm. 


140 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


however,  are  troubled  by  no  such  reflections  as  these.  They  appear 
to  act  as  we  have  reason  to  suppose  that  former  conquerors  have 
done.  They  appropriate  the  spoils  to  their  own  use,  and  though 
they  do  not  sell  the  inhabitants  of  conquered  countries,  yet  they  aro 
scarcely  less  slaves  than  if  they  did. 

"Could  a  Gurtius  or  a  Horatius  Codes  be  found  among  modern 
Romans?  Could  that  man  be  found  among  them  who,  like  Marcus 
Scaevola,  when  made  prisoner  would  thrust  his  hand  into  the  fire, 
and  burn  it  oflf  in  presence  of  the  conqueror  to  convince  him  that  a 
Roman  could  not  be  frightened  by  threats?  I  think  we  may  safely 
say  such  characters  no  longer  exist  in  Rome.  A  Ravaillac  might 
possibly  be  met  with,  but  no  Brutus.  The  stimulus  which  once  ex- 
cited to  heroic  deeds  has  long  since  given  way  to  the  effeminacy  of 
a  monkish  government,  which  has  led  to  beggary  and  ruin." 

On  returning  to  Naples  from  Eome  he  found  that 
Captain  Fairfield,  of  tlie  ship  Margaret,  of  Salem,  had 
succeeded  in  making  an  arrangement  with  the  govern- 
ment by  which  he  was  permitted  to  return  to  the  Unit- 
ed States,  carrying  as  passengers  the  crews  of  the  ves- 
sels which  had  been  seized,  and  he  was  congratulating 
himself  on  the  opportunity  thus  afforded  him  of  return- 
ing home.  His  disappointment  was  correspondingly 
great  at  being  obliged  to  abandon  tlie  hope,  as  Captain 
Fairfield  declined  to  take  as  freight  a  valuable  invest- 
ment of  Italian  manufactures  of  which  my  father  had 
agreed  to  take  charge.  In  this,  as  in  repeated  other  in- 
stances, the  event  proved  that  what  he  had  bewailed  as 
a  misfortune  was  in  fact  an  escape  from  a  fearful  com- 
bination of  horrors.  The  Margaret  was  upset  at  sea. 
A  part  of  those  on  board  escaped  in  a  boat  and  were 
saved  after  great  suffering ;  part  perished  miserabiy  on 
the  wreck,  and  a  few  were  rescued  from  it  in  a  dying 
condition. 


A  PRIEST'S  WEAKNESS. 


141 


In  connection  with  this  subject  the  following  extract 
from  the  last  letter  of  ray  father  to  my  mother  before 
leaving  Naples  is  interesting.  He  had  been  expressing 
the  disappointment  he  felt  at  not  being  able  to  take 
passage  in  tlie  Margaret^  but  finds  consolation  in  the 
fact  that  the  effect  of  it  had  been  less  disastrous  than 
in  a  case  which  had  just  come  to  his  knowledge : 

"  This  is  that  of  Dr.  Cancanning,  who,  appointed  by  the  pope  a 
bishop  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  America,  had  been  trying  in  vain 
for  a  year  to  procure  a  passage,  till  the  opportunity  offered  by  the 
Margaret.  He  had  come  from  Eome  with  all  his  movables,  engaged 
his  passage,  and  paid  his  portion  of  the  expense  of  stores,  when  he 
received  a  notification  from  the  prefect  of  police  t'lat  he  would  not 
be  permitted  to  depart  in  an  American  vessel.  The  disappointment 
was  so  great  and  had  such  an  effect  upon  him  that  he  survived  it 
but  three  days.  He  was  a  healthy,  good-looking  man  of  about  sixty, 
of  Irish  descent.  I  became  acouainted  with  him  at  Rome,  where  he 
had  long  resided,  and  from  whence  the  present  cndition  of  things 
led  him  often  to  express  his  joy  at  the  prospect  of  removal. 

"I  suspect  the  calm,  pacific,  tranquil  life  of  a  priest,  even  with 
all  the  help  they  may  derive  from  Heaven,  is  not  so  well  calculated 
to  train  the  mind  to  contend  with  disappointment  and  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  fortune  as  the  rough  and  troubled  life  of  the  soldier  or  the 
sailor,  who  is  inured  to  them.  Poor  human  nature!  To  be  assail- 
able by  fortune  at  the  age  of  sixty!  To  die  from  the  very  fear  of 
dying!  How  melancholy,  how  degrading  the  reflection!  My  dear 
boys  must  early  become  accustomed  to  hardships.  They  have  a 
prospect  of  living  in  turbulent  times,  when  the  civil  must  be  sub- 
servient to  military  authority,  when  the  only  right  that  is  acknowl- 
edged will  be  that  of  power,  and  consequently  they  must  by  the  im- 
provement of  their  talents  and  early  acquaintance  with  danger  be- 
come masters,  or  by  the  neglect  of  them  and  a  retired  life  submit  to 
be  slaves.  I  have  ordered  a  copy  of  the  '  Travels  of  Count  Beniow- 
ski '  and  of  Plutarch.  These  ought  to  be  their  study  till  they  have 
them  by  heart,  and  if  afterwards  they  should  die  at  sixty  of  disap- 
pointment I'll  disown  them. " 


m 


.,1). . 


iii 


\\m 


i 


mm 


mw 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

1810. 
From  Italy  to  Lisbon  and  thence  to  England. 

Having  failed  to  get  passage  Iiome  in  the  Margaret^ 
he  next  wrote  to  London  for  a  British  license  to  lade  a 
vessel  for  England.  This  arrived  in  due  season,  and  be- 
ing provided  with  the  credit  to  enable  him  to  use  it  to 
advantage,  ho  purchased  the  brig  Nancy  Ann  (one  of 
the  condemned  vessels),  and  loaded  her  with  a  cargo  of 
wine,  raw  silk,  licorice,  rags,  etc.,  for  London. 

No  objection  was  made  to  his  departure,  and  the  pas- 
sage down  the  Mediterranean  was  a  very  pleasant  one. 
On  approaching  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar  he  was  chased 
for  more  than  half  a  day  by  an  English  brig-of-war,  and 
paid  no  attention  to  the  occasional  discharge  of  a  gun 
till  she  approached  nearly  within  cannon-shot,  when  he 
rounded  to,  and  a  boat  was  immediately  sent  to  take 
him  and  his  papers  on  board  for  examination.  On  see- 
ing the  documents  by  which  he  was  screened  from  Eng- 
lish aggression,  which  emanated  from  the  same  author- 
ity as  his  own  commission,  the  commander  was  furious 
with  rage  at  having  been  unnecessarily  led  so  far  out  of 
his  way.  But  after  expending  a  deal  of  profanity,  and 
threatening  to  send  him  in  to  Gibraltar,  he  finally  calmed 
down,  and  perceiving  that  he  could  inflict  no  punish- 


CONCEALED  FREIGHT. 


U3 


ment  that  would  not  be  likely  to  recoil  upon  himself, 
he  reluctantly  consented  to  suffer  him  to  pursue  his 
couree. 

This  was  the  only  detention  he  met  with,  and  his  es- 
cape from  search  in  this  case  enabled  him  to  carry  out 
successfully  a  part  of  his  plan  which  did  not  appear  on 
the  manifest. 

I  have  mentioned  that  Captain  Fairfield's  reason  for 
refusing  to  take  my  father  as  passenger  on  the  Mar- 
garet was,  because  he  desired  to  take  with  him  as  freight 
a  quantity  of  Italian  manufactures  of  which  he  had 
charge,  which  would  have  affected  the  sale  of  those 
which  Captain  Fairfield  himself  was  carrying. 

This  was  an  invoice  of  sewing-silks  which  my  father 
had  purchased  for  account  of  Messrs.  John  Tappan, 
Stephen  Higginson,  and  himself,  and  which  he  now  had 
on  board  his  vessel  concealed  under  the  rags,  licorice, 
etc.,  which  comprised  his  cargo  for  London.  As  his 
English  license  allowed  no  manufactured  goods,  its  dis- 
covery would  have  led  to  the  seizure  of  the  vessel,  and 
as  the  same  result  would  have  ensued  had  the  goods 
been  taken  to  England,  his  intention  was  to  put  into 
Lisbon  and  transship  the  silks  from  thence  to  the  Unit- 
ed Statea ;  and  this  he  successfully  accomplished.  The 
fiUk  reached  America  in  safety  and  sold  for  about  $150,- 
000,  and  my  father  made  about  $20,000  by  the  opera- 
tion. 

On  entering  the  Tagus  and  coming  to  anchor  near 
the  Belera  Castle,  he  found  he  had  arrived  at  a  critical 
moment.  The  French  army  under  Massena  was  advanc- 
ing with  a  confidence  inspired  by  the  acknowledged 


\m 


144 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


talents  and  invariable  success  of  that  great  soldier,  and 
the  combined  English  and  Portuguese  forces  awaited 
the  attack  with  no  less  trust  in  the  skill  ^nd  intrepidity 
of  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley,  whose  lines  of  defence  at  Torres 
Vedras  were  deemed  impregnable.  The  inhabitants  of 
Lisbon  were,  of  course,  in  the  painful  condition  of  anx- 
iety incident  to  the  uncertain  state  of  affairs,  and  were 
preparing  for  the  possible  necessity  of  putting  their 
valuables  on  board  the  English  ships  of  war,  and,  that 
no  means  of  escape  might  be  lost,  an  embargo  was  laid 
on  all  vessels  in  port. 

Affairs  remained  in  this  critical  state  for  about  ten 
days,  which  was  also  the  period  of  quarantine  to  which 
my  father  was  subjected.  At  the  end  of  that  time  it 
was  announced  that  Massena  had  decided  not  to  risk  an 
attack  and  had  begun  his  retreat.  The  embargo  was 
immediately  raised,  and  the  anxious  inhabitants  of  Lis- 
bon once  more  breathed  freely.  My  father  effected  the 
transshipment  of  the  silk,  and  disposed  of  the  wine 
which  had  formed  part  of  his  cargo  to  the  commissary 
of  the  army,  on  very  advantageous  terms.  The  tone  of 
his  letters  at  once  reveals  the  relief  he  experienced  at 
the  dawning  of  better  prospects,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  consciousness  of  the  uncertainties  of  life  as  evinced 
by  the  loss  of  the  Margaret^  the  news  of  which  reached 
him  here.  His  first  letter  to  my  mother  begins  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  Lisbon,  September  9, 1810. 

"  Having  escaped  the  pirates  of  all  nations  (for  government  ships 
of  the  present  day  deserve  no  better  name),  and  arrived  safely  at 
this  point  of  my  voyage,  you  will  naturally  conceive  that  my  mind 
is  relieved  from  a  great  weight  of  anxiety,  as  the  trifling  premium 


LETTER  FROM  LISBON. 


145 


lind 
lum 


that  will  bo  paid  on  the  property  from  hence  to  America,  and  the 
great  profit  it  will  undoubtedly  command,  will  justify  insuring 
roundly  on  the  profits,  bo  that  beggary  and  starvation  which  have 
so  long  been  staring  me  in  the  face  have,  I  think,  made  a  retrograde 
movement.  But  poor  Fairfield^  when  on  his  way  home  with  a  good 
cargo,  doubtless  considered  his  prospects  equally  flattering.  "What 
a  dreadful  reverse  1  and  with  what  circumstances  of  superlative 
misery  was  not  the  loss  of  the  Margaret  attended.  Of  some  of  my 
acquaintance  who  were  on  her  I  know  nothing,  of  others  dying  on 
the  wreck,  and  others  escaping  with  the  bare  remains  of  life,  per- 
haps to  linger  a  burden  to  themselves  and  all  around  them.  The 
melancholy  recital  is  constantly  haunting  me,  and  not  the  less  from 
the  reflection  that  the  chance  was  equal  that  I  had  added  to  the 
number  of  the  miserable.  As  I  considered  the  opportunity  a  very 
excellent  one,  X  had  written  you  a  very  long  letter,  which,  together 
with  those  for  Stephen  Higginson,  I  confided  to  the  care  of  Mr. 
Louis  Barney  of  Baltimore,  an  excellent  young  man,  of  whose  fate  I 
have  as  yet  seen  no  account. 

"  So  much  time  will  be  absorbed  by  the  necessary  delays  here  and 
after  my  arrival  in  England  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  ar- 
rive in  America  till  after  winter  sets  in,  and  rather  than  contend 
with  the  discomfort  and  danger  of  coming  on  the  coast  at  that  sea- 
son, I  have  written  to  Stephen  proposing  to  wear  away  the  winter 
by  undertaking  another  expedition  to  Naples,  and  doubt  not  he  will 
readily  agree  to  it,  of  which  I  shall  be  advised  on  arrival  in  London. 
I  need  not  say  how  anxiously  I  shall  expect  letters  also  from  you. 
To  know  that  you  are  well,  to  have  your  congratulations  on  my 
success,  to  know  all  that  concerns  the  health  and  happiness  of  my 
dear  boys,  and  all  the  dear  circle  at  home,  is  more  interesting  than  a 
world  of  fortune. 

"Before  you  receive  this  I  suppose  America  will  have  an  addi- 
tion to  the  men  of  distinction  who  have  sought  her  shores,  unless 
some  greedy  man-of-war  should  have  detained  him  for  purposes  of 
robbery.  I  mean  Lucien  Bonaparte,  wI»o  was  to  have  sailed  from 
Civita  Vecchia  a  few  days  before  I  left  Naples  in  the  saip  Hercules, 
of  Salem.  His  collection  of  statuary  and  paintings  is  doubtless  su- 
perior to  anything  of  the  kind  in  America.  I  hope,  therefore,  he 
may  arrive  in  safo*^y/' 

7 


M 


!| '  '1° 

\lr. 


;-!i'ir 


i      ii 


146  VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 

A  few  days  later  lie  writes  again  as  follows : 

"Lisbon,  September  13, 1810. 

"  1  wrote  you  a  few  days  since  by  the  Albert,  Captain  Smith.  .  ,  . 

"  I  have  proposed  to  Stephen  to  make  another  voyage  this  winter 
up  the  Mediterranean;  but  how  far  the  new  measures  the  emperor 
is  taking  will  affect  the  plan  I  cannot  determine  before  arriving  in 
London.  I  learn  that  he  has  actually  written  a  love-letter  to  our 
minister  at  Paris,  promising  restitution  for  confiscated  property,  re- 
voking his  Berlin  and  Milan  decrees,  admitting  a  free  commerce 
even  in  colonial  produce,  and  declaring  that  the  prosperity  and  hap- 
piness of  the  United  States  is  an  object  he  has  at  heart,  or  words  to 
that  effect.  All  this  is  no  doubt  as  sincere  as  were  his  professions 
of  being  a  good  Mussulman  when  in  Egypt,  and  the  motives  no 
doubt  the  same— to  gull  us;  and,  in  my  opinion,  there  is  as  little  doubt 
that  we  shall  swallow  the  bait,  and  when  the  point  is  gained  for 
which  he  is  so  condescending,  instead  of  paying  for  what  he  has 
stolen,  he  will  be  much  more  likely  to  steal  more.  This  effort  of 
his,  however,  is  a  fair  confession  that  in  his  war  of  commerce  he  is 
worsted,  and  he  can  no  more  do  without  the  great  source  of  revenue 
it  affords  than  other  nations  can.  This  may  possibly  clip  off  some 
of  the  profits  on  the  goods  which  I  have  with  so  much  difficulty  and 
risk  brought  away  from  Naples;  but  in  such  precarious  times  noth- 
ing can  be  counted  on  with  certainty,  and  we  must  take  the  world 
as  it  goes." 

The  following  letter  affords  a  good  example  of  tlio 
sagaciouff  care  and  watchfulness  with  which  he  observed 
the  signs  of  the  times,  and  based  his  enterprises  on  his 
prognostications  of  their  results. 

The  goods  he  alludes  to  are  the  silks  he  brought  from 
Naples  and  had  just  despatched  for  America.  The 
cartel  Francis^  of  which  he  subsequently  speaks,  was 
the  vessel  by  which  he  had  sent  the  extended  manu- 
script description  of  the  vicinities  of  Kome  and  Naples, 
from  which  I  have  heretofore  given  extracts: 


LETTER  FROM  LISBON. 


HI 


ras 
m- 

les, 


"Lisbon,  October  5,  1810. 

'•The  uncertiuaty  of  being  able  to  procure  aDOtbcr  cargo  from 
Italy,  the  very  small  quantity  of  Italian  manufactures  that  can  pos- 
sibly find  their  way  to  the  United  States  in  addition  to  those  I  have 
sent,  the  little  dependence  that  can  be  placed  on  the  revocation  of 
Bonaparte's  decrees,  and  the  certainty  that  if  they  are  repealed  with 
conditions  inimical  to  the  commerce  of  Great  Britain  that  orders  of 
council  will  still  remain  in  force,  and  consequently  our  commerce 
with  France  will  continue  as  limited  as  their  ability  to  enforce  those 
orders  can  make  it,  are  inducements  sufficient  to  lead  mo  to  advise 
William  to  purchase  largely  at  the  sale  of  the  silks  which  I  have  sent 
from  here  by  the  Belle  Isle.  I  presume  they  will  be  sold  at  auction, 
and  if  the  sewing-silk  should  go  at  six  to  six  and  a  half  dollars  per 
pound,  I  would  recommend  his  purchasing  to  the  full  amount  of 
what  would  be  my  proportion.  By  sending  it  to  the  Brazils,  Span- 
ish America,  or  even  to  Baltimore  or  Philadelphia,  he  could  not  fail 
of  doing  well.  None  has  gone  or  can  go  this  winter  to  the  south- 
ward, and  I  know  the  markets  of  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  have 
been  more  bare  of  this  article  than  that  of  Boston.  At  this  place  I 
believe  I  could  have  procured  seven  dollars  per  pound  for  the  whole 
quantity  together,  which  is  a  proof  that  it  comes  to  them  excessively 
high  from  England. 

•'  I  learn  by  the  papers  that  the  cartel-ship  Franda  had  arrived  at 
Salem.  By  hei  you  will  have  received  a  line  from  me,  from  the 
length  of  which  you  will  conclude  that  I  had  abundance  of  leisure 
while  at  Naples.  I  hope  it  will  afford  you  some  amusement,  and  I 
know  it  will  be  gratifying  to  you  to  perceive  that  it  served  to  beguile 
many  a  dull  hour  with  me. 

"I  hear  from  Henry  Higginson  in  London  that  he  has  received 
£4800  for  our  share  of  the  Floremo's  cargo,  and  that  she  was  ex- 
pected there  with  a  freight.  I  don't  know  whether  this  is  doing  well 
or  not,  as  I  have  no  recollection  of  the  cost  of  the  cargo,  but  I  am 
satisfied  it  is  better  fortune  than  most  of  our  countrymen  met  with 
who  sailed  about  the  same  time.  To  be  concerned  in  two  expedi- 
tions that  succeed  must  certainly  be  construed  into  a  change  of 
fortune,  and  almost  Ijads  me  to  flatter  myself  with  seeing  the  time 
when  I  shall  be  free  from  anxiety  on  account  of  pecuniary  affairs, 
and  can  join  my  dear  boys  in  their  play  on  the  lawn,  or,  as  evening 


■  i.f: 


t    t 


I 

4 


i.  i 


r 


nm 


/pi 


148 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


approaches,  listen  to  the  sweet  strains  of  '  Henry's  Cottage  Maid/ 
or  'Fair  Fidelia,'  as  touclied  by  the  skilful  band  of  their  dear 
mother.  Alasl  when  are  these  enjoyments  to  be  realized?  Certain- 
ly not  without  the  possession  of  competency.    As  certainly  %oith. 

"When,  therefore,  the  happiness  of  three  is  dependent  on  my 
exertions,  no  privation,  no  fatigue,  no  watching,  no  rational  risks 
should  deter  me  from  pursuing  that  lino  which  appears  to  lead  most 
directly  to  the  desired  object.  But  how  often  in  our  efforts  to  ap- 
proach do  we  recede  from  it!" 

On  the  8tli  of  l^ovember  lie  writes : 

"The  embargo  is  partially  raised,  and  I  am  one  of  several  who 
have  had  permission  to  depart,  for  some  days,  but  I  now  wait  for 
convoy,  which  will  be  ready  in  a  day  or  two.  Henry  Higginson  par- 
ticularly recommended  my  coming  with  a  convoy,  as  the  French 
privateers  are  very  numerous,  and  insurance  can  be  effected  three 
per  cent,  less  with  convoy  than  without. 

"The  panic  which  was  caused  in  Lisbon  by  the  rapid  retreat  of 
the  British  army  has  long  since  subsided.  They  made  a  stand  at  the 
last  lines,  and  the  French  have  not  dared  to  attack  them.  They 
have  continued  looking  at  each  other  for  three  weeks  past,  with 
scarcely  any  alteration  in  their  relative  positions.  Scarce  a  day  has 
passed  that  some  miserably  maimed  soldiers  have  not  been  brought 
in  from  the  army.  Their  appearance  is  indeed  distressing,  and 
forms  a  painful  contrast  with  the  fresh  troops  who  are  daily  sent 
out.  The  order  (perhaps  necessary)  of  the  British  general  for  all  the 
farmers  to  destroy  their  houses,  and  all  the  produce  which  they  were 
unable  to  put  out  of  the  enemy's  reach,  has  reduced  vast  numbers 
to  indigence  who  have  been  well  off,  and,  arriving  at  Lisbon  when 
no  provision  had  been  made  for  them,  their  situation  is  most  dis- 
tressing." 

His  voyage  to  Plymouth,  England,  from  Lisbon  was 
made  in  company  with  a  dozen  sail  of  vessels  under 
convoy  of  a  frigate. 

In  a  long  letter  to  my  mother  from  that  port,  dated 
December  25th,  1810,  he  indulges  in  a  series  of  reflec- 


i 


ANTIQUARUN  REFLECTIONS. 


149 


tions  which,  under  the  circnmstanoes,  are  not  only  in- 
trinsically interesting,  but  afford  curious  evidence  of 
his  peculiar  characteristics,  lie  is  replying  to  letters 
received  from  here  soon  after  his  arrival : 

"  I  am  glad  to  Icam  you  received  and  were  so  well  pleased  witli 
the  long  details  of  my  rambles  in  Italy.  .  .  , 

"Of  my  former  rambles  you  are  in  possession  of  no  inconsider- 
able detail,  but  the  extent  of  country  over  which  my  destiny  has  led 
mo  since  parting  from  you  in  January  last  has  certainly  been  moro 
interesting  than,  perhaps,  all  the  others  combined.  Previous  to  this 
my  mind  seems  hardly  to  have  been  able  to  grasp  or  realize  the  idea 
of  Ihe  prodigious  number  of  years  which  have  elapsed  even  since 
the  construction  of  some  of  those  edifices  which  yet  bear  witness 
to  it,  and  still  less  to  the  more  remote  periods  of  history.  But  in 
It.  ij  you  are  as  irresistibly  led  back  seventeen  hundred  )'ears  to  the 
destruction  of  Pompeii,  or  two  thousand  years  to  the  days  when 
Rome  was  in  her  glory,  as  you  are  in  America  to  the  voyage  of  Co- 
lumbus or  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth. 

"This  familiarity,  even  with  objects  of  no  greater  antiquity,  ap- 
pears to  approximate  so  nearly  to  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  time  of 
the  creation  that  you  find  it  difficult  to  believe  that  the  world  can 
be  so  young;  but  when  you  are  presented  with  specimens  of  art, 
some  of  which  can  be  traced  upwards  of  three  thousand  years,  and 
others  lost  in  remote  antiquity,  which  are,  nevertheless,  the  wonder 
and  admiration  of  the  present  age,  such  as  the  Egyptian  obelisks 
and  pyramids,  it  requires  a  different  education  from  mine,  more  im- 
plicit faith  in  the  generally  received  authority,  and  perhaps  you  will 
say  a  more  correct  way  of  thinking,  to  bo  perfectly  satisfied  with  it. 

"Having  observed  mankind  in  their  most  abject  state  of  barbar- 
ism docB  not  afford  (even  to  an  experienced  observer)  sufficient  data 
to  form  an  idea  of  the  time  necessary  for  them  to  be  advanced  to 
that  degree  of  civilization  which  is  indicated  by  the  production  of 
such  labors;  but  setting  aside  the  Egyptian  account  of  the  antiquity 
of  their  origin  (which  they  carry  back  twenty  thousand  years);  the 
period  appears  too  limited  between  their  being  in  a  state  of  bar- 
barism, even  as  immediately  after  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  creation 
as  possible,  and  their  producing,  when  they  did,  such  gigantic  works. 


it 


■'-     j 

j. 

I 


.  if-.  - 


WM 


150 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


Ili 


i 


i; 


iiiii 


"The  diflference  between  the  Hebrew  and  the  Greek  texts  of 
1370  yeara  in  the  period  between  the  Creation  and  the  birth  of 
Christ  does  not  tend  to  enlighten  the  doubtful  and  inquiring  mind, 
and  will  satisfy  only  those  who  will  not  doubt.  A  singular  circum- 
stance menticned  In  Recupera's  history  of  Mount  Etna  has  a  par- 
ticular relation  to  this  subject.  Ho  says  that  in  digging  a  pit  of 
great  depth  at  Jaci  (near  Etna)  seven  distinct  strata  of  lava  were 
pierced  through,  the  surfaces  of  which  were  parallel,  and  most  of 
them  covered  with  a  thilck  bed  of  earth.  Now  the  eruption  which 
formed  the  lowest  of  these  strata,  if  wo  may  be  allowed  to  reason 
from  analogy,  must  have  flowed  from  the  mountain  at  least  four- 
teen thousand  years  ago,  for  it  is  said  to  require  two  thousand  years 
to  form  even  a  scanty  soil  on  the  surface  of  the  lava. 

"Bm".  of  what  consequence  is  it  to  us  whether  the  world  is  six, 
ten,  or  twenty  thousand  years  old?  W'i  have  only  to  act  well  our 
parts  in  it,  and,  conscious  of  doing  this  with  an  easy  and  cheerful 
miad,  leave  the  event  to  that  Almighty  Power  who 

'"Though  changed  through  all,  is  yet  in  all  the  same, 
Great  in  the  earth,  as  in  the  ethereal  frame. 
Warms  In  the  sun,  refreshes  in  the  breeze. 
Glows  in  the  stars,  and  blossoms  in  the  trees. 
Lives  through  all  life;  extends  through  all  extent; 
Spreads  undivided;  operates  unspent. 
To  him  no  hi^j,  no  low,  no  great,  no  small. 
He  fills,  he  bounds,  connects,  and  equals  all.' 

"There  is,  however,  something  in  the  appearance  of  the  vener- 
able relics  of  antiqiiity  with  which  Italy  abounds  which  not  only 
leads  to  a  conviction  of  many  historical  facts,  but  must  also  neces- 
sarily compel  the  most  volatile  to  reflect  on  the  vicissitude  of  all 
human  affairs. 

"Is  it  not  amazing,  then,  that  we  find  the  present  rulers  of  tho 
earth,  men  of  lil)eral  education,  pursuing  the  same  path  as  their 
predecessors?  As  proud,  arrogant,  and  unjust,  on  obtaining  an  ad- 
vantage over  their  weaker  neighbors  as  were  their  prede  lessors,  and 
as  ready  to  ascribe  their  success  to  their  superior  wisdom  and  tal- 
ents. Tho  miserable  end  of  Pompey  the  Great,  of  Ceesar,  of  An- 
tony, and  of  nine  tenths  of  the  mighty  heroes  of  Rome,  in  whose 


PHILOSOPHICAL  REFLECTIONS. 


161 


exploits  the  world  has  been  as  much  interested  and  absorbed  as  it 
now  is  with  those  of  Bonaparte,  Massena,  Nelson,  Wellington,  etc., 
must  appear  to  the  actors  themselves  as  fabulous  or  distant  as  death 
does  to  a  thoughtless  boy— at  such  a  prodigious  distance  that  noth- 
ing  need  be  apprehended  from  it. 

"That  the  Emperor  of  France  should  not  be  deterred  from  any 
act  of  injustice  by  such  reflections  is  not  surprising.  His  profession 
is  that  of  a  warrior.  By  war  alone  and  the  calamities  it  produces 
could  he  ever  have  reached  the  summit  at  which  he  has  arrived,  nor 
is  it  probable  he  could  maintain  his  position  but  by  pursuing  the 
same  system.  But  that  an  old-established  government  like  that  of 
Great  Britain  should  follow  such  an  example,  a  government  that 
is  ever  boasting  of  its  justice,  humanity,  etc.,  is  indeed  wonderful. 
When  Thcmistocles  declared  to  the  assembly  of  Athens  that  he 
knew  a  method  of  giving  them  the  sovereignty  of  Greece,  but  that 
it  must  bo  kept  secret,  he  was  desired  to  make  it  known  to  Aristides 
only,  and  abide  by  his  decision.  He  accordingly  told  him  that  his 
project  was  to  burn  the  whole  fleet  of  the  confederates.  Aristides 
then  informed  the  assembly  that  nothing  could  be  more  advanta- 
geous than  the  proposal  of  Thcmistocles,  nor  could  anything  bo 
more  unjust.  Whereupon  they  at  once  abandoned  the  thought  of 
it.  But  we  find,  in  this  civilized  age,  tlie  pretensions  to  justice  and 
honor  of  the  enlightened  government  of  England  are  not  so  well 
founded  as  those  of  the  ancients,  nor  better  than  those  of  the  great 
modern  usurper,  for  besides  the  minor  acts  of  injustice  and  villainy 
to  which  their  cupidity  is  daily  inciting  them,  they  have  shown  that 
merely  to  obtain  possession  of  a  few  old  hulks  of  ships,  and  those 
belonging  to  a  people  as  much  in  friendship  with  them  as  were  the 
confederates  wiih  the  people  of  Athens,  the  destruction  of  a  flour- 
ishii'g  city,  the  death  of  thousands,  and  all  the  long  and  dreadful 
train  of  miseries  resulting  from  the  ravages  of  fire  and  sword  when 
used  as  the  destroying  engines  of  a  merciless  conqueror,  have  been 
DO  impediment.  On  the  «vhole,  I  am  induced  to  believe  that  man- 
kind are  much  the  same  at  the  present  day  that  they  were  two  thou- 
sand years  ago,  equally  unjust,  ambitious,  and  arrogant;  perhaps 
more  humane,  though,  recurring  to  the  Spanish  In  America,  the  Eng- 
lish and  Dutch  in  India,  and  the  French  during  the  revolution,  even 
this  may  be  doubted." 


ill:! 


152 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


To  many  readers  of  the  present  day  these  will  doubt- 
less seem  bnt  commonplace  reflections.  Those  who  can 
recall  the  state  of  public  feeling  and  the  tone  of  current 
literature  of  fifty  years  ago — before  the  era  of  modern 
scientific  investigation,  and  before  the  study  of  history 
had  been  rendered  fascinating  by  such  writers  as  Macau- 
lay,  Prescott,  and  Motley — will  recognize  the  fact  that 
even  then  these  expressions  would  have  been  thought 
bold  and  startling. 

When  we  reflect  that  they  were  uttered  twenty  years 
earlier  than  that,  by  a  man  whoso  only  early  education 
had  been  that  of  the  common  schools  of  New  England, 
and  are  simply  the  outflow  of  his  own  thoughts  in  a  fa- 
miliar letter  to  his  wife,  written  in  the  midst  of  the  per- 
plexing cares  of  business,  they  cannot  be  regarded  as 
other  than  remarkable. 


?  i 


I 


CHAPTER  IX. 

1811-1816. 

Transactions  in  England  and  on  the  Continent. — A  Project  Prom- 
ising Great  Besuits  Defeated  by  the  Failure  of  the  Russian 
Campaign. 

The  enormous  difference  in  prices,  even  of  articles  of 
ordinary  necessity,  between  England  and  the  Continent, 
resulting  from  the  forced  and  unnatural  conditions  which 
had  been  imposed  upon  them,  offered  favorable  oppor- 
tunities to  neutrals,  which  my  father,  in  company  with 
many  other  Americans,  made  very  active  efforts  to  im- 
prove. 

The  proposed  return  to  Naples  was  abandoned,  and 
for  the  next  two  years  ho  was  in  London  and  the  north 
of  Europe,  engaged  in  commerce,  the  management  of 
which  often  required  the  exercise  of  great  skill  and 
boldness,  and  of  course  involved  corresponding  risks. 

His  letters  during  this  period  are  continued  at  fre- 
quent intervals,  but  from  the  great  uncertainty  which 
attended  their  transmission,  were  always  very  guarded 
in  their  expression  relative  to  the  operations  in  which 
ho  was  engaged. 

The  following  extract,  from  his  first  long  letter  after 
arriving  in  London,  furnishes  the  keynote  of  the  general 
tone  which  pervades  them — a  tone  of  anxiety  resulting 
from  the  painful  uncertainty  attending  the  efforts  ho 
was  making  to  attain  the  means  of  returning  to  those  in 


154 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


whose  affection  his  hope  of  happiness  was  centred,  yet 
of  determined  resolution  to  accomplish  the  object,  if 
perseverance  and  energy  conld  do  it. 

"LoniDON,  February  6,1811. 

"  r  wrote  you  a  very  hasty  scrawl  by  an  opportunity  for  Boston 
on  the  day  of  my  arrival  here,  lest  a  knowledge  of  our  unprecedent- 
ed delays  should  have  caused  you  anxiety. 

"  It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  such  a  series  of  untoward  circum- 
stances as  I  have  met  with  since  leaving  Lisbon  ;  nor  bttve  my  phys- 
ical sufferings  been  inconsiderable,  as  you  will  perceive  when  I  tell 
you  that  for  six  weeks  of  this  uncommonly  severe  winter  I  have 
been  quarantined  on  board  my  vessel  and  not  allowed  to  have  a  fire. 
But  that  is  past,  and  I  will  not  tremble  you  with  a  recital  of  my  dis- 
comfort, since  I  escaped  being  sick,  which  might  have  been  expected 
as  a  consequence  of  such  privations,  and  is  a  convincing  proof  that 
my  constitution  is  restored  to  its  pristine  strength. 

"During  my  confinement  at  Plymouth  I  wrote  you  several  very 
long  letters,  and  we  have  just  learned  that  one  of  the  vessels  (by  which 
I  sent  a  large  packet)  has  experienced  a  warm  proof  of  the  love  Bony 
bears  to  Americans,  as,  with  her  cargo,  she  was  burned  at  sea  by  the 
Invincible  Napoleon,  French  privateer. 

"  Among  the  many  extraordinary  things  which  we  daily  see  tak- 
ing place  in  these  extraordinary  times  Mr.  Madison's  proclamation 
of  November  2  is  certainly  not  the  least  singular. 

"  An  English  editor  terms  it  'a  pretty  specimen  of  republican  sa- 
gacity,' and  indeed  I  think  it  is ;  for  what  proof  has  he  of  Bony's  sin- 
cerity or  good  faith,  that  could  justify  such  a  measure?  The  event, 
no  doubt,  will  show  an  error  that  will  involve  many  in  ruin. 

"  As  it  regards  myself,  if  the  silks  I  sent  from  Italy  have  not  been 
sold,  I  have  no  doubt  they  will  be  more  valuable  than  ever,  as  there 
is  no  prospect  of  a  commercial  intercourse  with  France.  The  Amer- 
ican property  which  arrived  there  after  November  1  has  all  been  se- 
questered, and  is  held  up  in  terrorem  with  a  view  to  bring  them  into 
his  measures.  Of  the  property  so  villainously  seized  previous  to 
that  time  not  a  farthing  will  ever  be  restored. 

"The  prodigious  loss  on  the  exchange  between  Naples  and  this 
place,  the  risks  attending  shipments  from  there,  together  with  the  un- 


NEW  PLANS  AND  PROJECTS. 


165 


certainty  of  finding  a  vessel  there,  have  induced  me  to  give  up  the 
plan  of  another  voyage  there,  and  I  am  now  undetermined  what 
course  to  pursue.  I  would  not  lose  a  moment  in  returning  to  my 
dear  wife  and  boys  did  I  not  consider  it  a  duty  due  them  to  leave  no 
enterprise  untried  that  promises  in  any  degree  the  accomplishment 
of  their  and  my  wishes.  I  shall  therefore  wait  a  few  weeks  to  see 
what  can  be  done,  and  if  nothing  offers  shall  embark  for  home,  and 
bless  my  stars  that  you  decided  not  to  attempt  to  meet  me  at  Naples 
as  I  proposed. 

"Forbes*  left  here  yesterday  for  France,  but  with  no  very  brill- 
iant prospects.  Curson  has  met  with  great  difficulties  and  inter- 
ruptions, and  the  success  of  his  voyage  is  doubtful. 

"In  times  like  these  there  is  no  readier  road  to  ruin  than  bciug 
concerned  in  shipping,  and  I  am  sorry  that  William  is  extending  his 
interests  therein. 

"You  will  perceive  I  am  growing  cautious,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
you  will  perceive  why :  because  a  contrary  conduct  has  been  in  a 
degree  the  cause  of  an  absence  from  those  most  dear  to  me,  for  which 
no  fortune  can  compensate." 

It  is  affecting  to  read  the  details  he  gives  in  the  long 
series  of  letters  following  the  above  of  the  different 
plans  and  efforts  at  their  execution  which  occupied  him, 
and  through  the  whole  of  which  his  chief  source  of  re- 
lief and  comfort  seems  to  have  been  in  thus  commun- 
ing with  the  one  on  whose  sympathy  he  relied. 

An  attempt  to  carry  a  cargo  of  wine  to  Copenhagen 
was  attended  with  circumstances  curiously  illustrative 
of  the  lesson  which  had  so  often  been  repeated  in  his 
experience,  of  a  seeming  misfortune  proving  to  be  a 
providential  preservation.  The  vessel  containing  it  had 
arrived  in  England  from  Naples,  consigned  to  his  cousin, 
Henry  Higginson,  who  was  then  established  in  London. 


■  1^ 


*  John  M.  Forbes,  afterwards  minister  to  Denmark. 


m^ 


150 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


j  iiiP« 


The  plan  had  previously  been  arranged  tliat  my  father 
should  immediately  embark  in  her  as  passenger  and  take 
the  wine  to  Copenhagen,  where  a  very  large  profit  would 
have  been  realized.  The  vessel  was  wrecked  by  going 
aehore  on  Jutland  in  the  night,  but  fortunately  at  high 
tide,  so  that  all  the  cargo  was  saved.  This  necessarily 
consumed  two  thirds  of  the  profits,  but  they  nevertheless 
realized  about  £1000  profit,  whereas  if  he  had  kept  on 
his  course  he  would  have  fallen  directly  into  the  hands 
of  a  French  privateer  then  lying  off  Elsinore. 

This  business  being  finished,  he  writes  from  Copenha- 
gen, on  the  18th  of  September,  1811,  acknowledging  let- 
ters from  home  containing  news  of  losses  which  his  brother 
had  met  with,  which  he  was  apprehensive  would  involve 
the  necessity  of  parting  with  the  beautiful  home  in  Lan- 
caster to  which  he  was  so  fondly  attached.  This  was 
evidently  a  heavy  addition  to  the  weight  of  care  with 
which  he  was  already  burdened,  and  his  expressions  give 
painful  evidence  of  the  suffering  it  caused  him  that  my 
mother  should  be  thus  oppressed. 

Yet  he  rallies  his  own  spirits,  and  tries  to  encourage 
her  with  hopes  of  a  brighter  future. 

"  Do  not  indulge,**  he  says,  "  in  gloomy  anticipations.  All  will  yet 
bo  well,  and  in  the  course  of  twelve  or  eighteen  months  I  will  aston- 
ish you  with  a  fortune  that  shall  suffice  for  the  gratiflcatioa  of  thd 
wishes  of  all  who  are  dear  to  me.  Late  as  it  now  is,  I  am  now  bound 
to  Russia,  having  chartered  part  of  a  ship,  and  engaged  in  a  voyage 
which  is  to  terminate  here.  I  have  obtained  a  credit  of  £3000  ster- 
ling, and  have  a  fair  prospect  of  clearing  from  sixty  to  seventy-five 
per  cent.  It  is  possible,  of  course,  that  I  may  be  defeated  by  being 
caught  in  the  ice,  by  shipwreck,  or  by  French  privateers.  Against 
the  Danes  I  am  guarded  by  a  license.  If  I  succeed  I  hope  to  be 
in  London  in  November,  from  whence  I  contemplate  a  voyage  to 


THE  EDUCATION  OP  HIS  CHILDREN. 


167 


to 


Naples  for  wine,  for  Lisbon,  New  Orleans,  or  this  country,  and  bavo 
written  to  Paris  for  a  license.  Thus  you  perceive  I  am  undertaking 
new  adventures  and  projecting  others  still  more  extensive,  before 
even  this  last  miserable  one  is  brought  to  a  close.  This  perhaps  will 
allay  your  feais  relative  to  my  health,  for  if  my  constitution  had  not 
regained  its  full  vigor  I  could  not  have  withstood  the  excessive  fa- 
tigue and  anxiety  I  have  lately  experienced,  and  while  my  health 
continues  firm  rest  assured  my  spirits  will  never  be  subdued.  You 
remind  me  of  my  promise  that  nothing  within  my  power  to  control 
should  induce  me  to  prolong  my  absence  beyond  the  present  autumn. 
Harry  will  tell  you  that  I  wrote  him  from  Plymouth  that  I  would 
undertake  no  voyage  which  would  prevent  my  returning  to  my  fam- 
ily by  the  month  of  August ;  but  I  presumed  at  that  time  that  I  pos- 
sessed at  least  $10,000,  and  therefore  that  there  was  no  necessity  of 
making  a  reserve  for  such  a  disappointment  as  I  have  since  met 
with.  But  I  know  that  no  apology  is  necessary,  and  that  you  no 
more  doubt  my  impatience  to  return  than  I  do  yours  to  have  mo. 
Keep  up  your  spirits  and  bear  in  mind  that  the  greatest  stimulant 
I  possess  to  enable  me  to  bear  up  against  such  accumulated  misfor- 
tune as  has  fallen  to  my  share  is  the  reflection  that  my  efforts  are 
appreciated  by  so  competent  a  judge  as  my  beloved  wife." 

In  one  of  his  letters  at  this  period  lie  makes  the  first 
allusion  to  a  subject  the  importance  of  which,  in  his  es- 
timation, is  sufficiently  indicated  by  the  fact  of  his  urg- 
ing it  so  strongly  at  a  time  of  such  doubt  and  anxiety 
relative  to  his  affairs. 

My  mother,  it  seems,  was  considering  the  propriety  of 
disposing  of  the  Lancaster  estate  and  taking  up  her  resi- 
dence in  more  economical  quarters,  to  which  he  assents 
with  the  assurance  of  his  entire  confidence  in  her  judg- 
ment ;  but  offering  only  the  following  suggestion : 

"I  will  only  observe  that  in  the  choice  of  your  future  residence 
a  good  school  for  the  boys  is  an  object  of  primary  importance,  and, 
in  my  opinion,  should  influence  your  opinion  even  more  than  a  good 
physician.    The  man  who  is  capublc  and  willing  to  perform  the  im- 


^Ci 


wm^l^ 


168 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


portant  duties  of  a  schoolmaster,  can  bo  expected  to  do  it  only  "with 
the  encouragement  of  a  handsome  salary,  and  with  a  limited  number 
of  scholars,  and  if  his  associates  were  those  of  the  first  respectability 
in  the  town  where  he  resides  it  would  not  escape  the  notice  of  his 
pupils,  and  would  be  properly  appreciated  by  them.  You  can  have 
but  one  objection  to  such  a  school,  that  of  the  expense,  which  must 
not  influence  you,  as  I  had  rather  remain  an  exile  forever  than  that 
the  boys  should  not  only  have  a  good,  but  a  finished  education.  Im- 
pressed as  I  am  with  the  great,  the  incalculable  importance  of  a 
good  education,  I  beg  of  you,  in  making  your  selection,  not  to  be  in- 
fluenced by  the  expense,  for  the  man  capable  of  taking  the  impor- 
tant trust  of  a  teacher  can  only  be  expected  to  discharge  his  duty 
properly  if  handsomely  paid,  and  the  number  of  scholars  limited." 

At  the  time  the  above  was  written  his  oldest  son 
was  only  in  his  seventh  year,  and,  of  course,  had  hardly 
emerged  from  the  nursery.  The  suggestion  of  the  value 
to  the  pupils  of  a  good  social  position  for  the  master  is 
full  of  meaning,  and  is  eminently  worthy  of  considera-' 
tion  at  this  day,  when  it  is  so  frequently  the  case  that 
refined  social  habits  are  not  taken  into  account  in  se- 
lecting a  teacher,  and  parents  feel  under  no  obligation 
even  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  those  to  whom  they 
intrust  the  education  of  their  children. 

The  principal  of  a  large  public  school  once  said  to  me, 
with  an  evident  feeling  of  bitterness,  "  If  I  had  the 
care  of  five  hundred  sheep  or  calves,  the  owners  would 
show  more  interest  in  my  management  of  them  than 
the  parents  of  these  five  hundred  children." 

The  departure  for  Russia  was  delayed  for  ten  days  by 
an  easterly  storm,  and  subsequently  by  head  winds,  so 
that  he  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  go  to  St.  Peterebui-g 
as  he  first  intended,  but  stopped  at  Riga,  and  returned 
in  one  month  to  Copenhagen,  having  added  something 


JOURNAL  OF  A  DAY. 


159 


to  his  means,  though  not  so  largely  as  ho  would  have 
done,  had  he  been  able  to  carry  out  his  original  plan. 

Ho  remained  in  Copenhagen  engaged  in  shipments  of 
wheat  to  England,  from  which,  as  ho  says  in  one  of  his 
letters,  he  realized  an  amount  of  profit  which  would  have 
justified  his  returning  to  America,  but  meantime  both 
his  brothers  had  met  with  serious  losses,  and  as  they  al- 
ways regarded  their  interests  as  mutual,  he  continued  to 
avail  himself  of  the  opportunities  which  offered  for  ac- 
quiring means  to  aid  and  relieve  them. 

As  usual,  besides  sending  a  long  letter  by  every  op- 
portunity, he  writes  a  very  long  and  detailed  account  of 
his  experiences  with  descriptions,  discussions,  and  reflec- 
tions, as  if  trying,  in  his  absence  from  home,  to  supply 
by  such  means  the  domestic  pleasures  he  so  coveted.  A 
single  extract  will  suffice  to  show  how  his  time  and 
mind  were  occupied. 

"My  disrelish  for  the  ordinary  resources  of  most  of  my  country- 
men—drinking  and  cards— and  the  habit  to  which  I  have  long  ad- 
hered of  acting  with  entire  independence  in  the  disposal  of  my  time, 
by  not  sacrificing  it  to  others,  has  made  it  so  exclusively  my  own 
that  a  knowledge  of  the  routine  of  one  day  will  give  you  a  general 
idea  of  each.  I  rise  at  eight,  breakfast  immediately,  and  read  or 
write  till  one;  then  walk  four  or  five  miles  till  half -past  two,  when 
I  meet  a  party  of  four  at  the  hotel  to  dine;  after  dinner,  sit  and  chat 
for  an  hour  or  two,  take  a  short  walk,  return  to  my  lodgings  and 
take  tea  at  seven,  read  till  eleven,  aud  then  go  to  bed.  My  only  de- 
viation from  these  regular  habits  has  been  when  I  have  occasionally 
met  a  congenial  soul  who  could  overcome  his  natural  indolence  suf- 
ficiently to  accompany  me  on  one  of  my  long  rambles,  or  would 
leave  the  gay  circle  to  pass  a  social  evening  with  me  in  my  room. 
And  here,  as  elsewhere,  I  now  and  then  attend  the  public  places  of 
amusement,  which  are  tolerably  good,  and  far  better  than  could  bo 
expected  for  the  very  moderate  expense.    Indeed,  I  have  visited  no 


,'U 


160 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


country  where  the  admission  to  places  of  public  amusement  was  so 
cheap.  At  an  excellent  weekly  concert  to  which  I  am  a  subscriber, 
I  pay  about  three  shillings  sterling  per  month.  In  England,  for  a 
concert  no  better,  the  admission  for  a  single  evening  is  half  a  guinea. 
Admission  to  the  theatre  is  proportionally  moderate,  but  as  I  know 
nothing  of  the  language,  I  visit  it  only  when  there  is  a  ballot,  or  an 
opera  with  good  music. 

"I  have  also  been  to  a  masquerade  and  a  public  ball;  but  partly 
owing  to  myself,  and  partly  to  the  indi£ferenco  of  those  with  whom 
I  have  commercial  intercourse,  I  have  made  no  acquaintance  with 
private  society,  and  since  my  residence  here  have  had  no  other  din- 
ner than  such  as  I  paid  for.  Shaler  would  scarcely  be  al>^  to  credit 
that,  in  the  four  months  I  have  resided  here,  I  have  not  b^  n  the  in- 
side of  a  gentleman's  house.  In  the  few  months  which  he  and  I 
spent  here,  in  1801,  we  experienced  uncommon  civility;  in  fact,  wo 
had  never  met  with  such  hospitality.  The  gentlemen  with  whom 
we  transacted  our  business  frequently  called  on  us,  gave  parties  for 
us,  and  took  pains  to  introduce  us  to  the  most  respectable  clubs  and 
reading-rooms,  but  the  times  have  dreadfully  changed,  and,  alas ! 
my  circumstances  have  dreadfully  c)ianged  also.  When  I  made  my 
first  visit  here  in  company  with  my  friend  Shaler,  it  was  with  no 
inconsiderable  eclat. 

"Two  young  men  who  were  passengers  and  freighters  of  a  noble 
ship  of  one  thousand  tons  from  the  East  Indies,  with  a  capital  of 
seven  thousand  bags  of  coffee,  accompanied  by  three  black  servants, 
and  taking  the  best  lodgings  in  the  city,  attracted  the  notice  of  tlie 
natives,  and  led  us  foolishly  to  fancy  that  the  attentions  we  received 
were  due  to  our  personal  merit,  unmixed  with  considerations  of  tho 
property  we  represented.  Knowing,  as  you  do,  the  extent  of  my 
misfortunes,  you  will  not  imagine  that  I  have  waited  till  this  time 
to  be  cured  of  such  vanity,  or  that  the  difference  of  my  reception 
DOW  and  at  that  time  has  had  the  least  effect  upon  my  spirits.  On 
the  contrary,  having  no  disposition  to  mix  much  with  the  world,  it 
has  afforded  me  matter  of  amusement  and  speculation.  A  commer- 
cial house  may  expect  to  derive  advantage  from  the  civilities  and  at- 
tcniicu  wiiich  they  pay  the  rich  man,  and  the  latter  will  almost  in- 
variably attribute  such  attentions  to  his  superior  merit;  but  what 
can  induce  the  generality  of  mankind  to  bow  so  meanly  at  the  shrino 


pniLosopnicAL  reflections. 


161 


of  riches,  even  if  the  possessor  is  a  villain  or  a  fool,  I  cannot  con- 
ceive; yet  that  it  is  so  all  the  world  over  I  am  perfectly  satisflod. 
If  the  rich  were  usually  generous  in  proportion  to  their  riches  it 
would  be  accounted  for,  but  the  contrary  is  almost  invariably  the 
case.  Riches  then  must  possess  an  inherent,  inexpressible  some- 
thing which  dazzles  and  attracts  the  mob  without  benefiting  them, 
and  the  poet  says : 

" '  Gold  too  oft,  witli  magic  art, 
Subdues  each  nobler  impulse  of  the  heart. 
This  crowns  the  prosperous  villain  with  applause 
To  wljom  in  vain  sad  Merit  pleads  hp-  cause. 
This  strews  with  roses  life's  perplexing  road. 
And  leads  the  way  to  Pleasure's  blest  abode. 
"With  slaughtered  victims  fills  the  weeping  plain, 
And  smooths  i.!  "^  furrows  of  the  treacherous  main.' 

"  With  such  sentiments— with  a  perfect  conviction  of  the  insuflS- 
ciency  of  riches  to  procure  happiness,  and  with  wants  far  more 
limited  than  those  of  the  geneiality  of  mankind — the  sacrifices  I  have 
made  may  appear,  to  an  indifferent  observer,  extraordinary  and  in- 
consistent, but  those  who  know  me  will  not  attribute  them  to  a 
criminal  thirst  of  gain,  or  a  weak  ambition  to  be  considered  rich. 

"  The  greater  sacrifices  I  am  now  making,  in  thus  becoming  a  vol- 
untary exile  from  all  that  makes  life  desirable,  being  the  effect  of 
dire  necessity,  needs  nothing  said  in  extenuation.  Exile  and  want 
of  wealth  arc  relative  evils;  thirst,  hunger,  and  nakedness,  positive; 
and  while  wc  evince  a  proper  resignation  to  the  former,  we  will 
bless  our  stars  if  in  times  so  pregnant  with  calamities  we  are  per- 
mitted to  escape  the  latter." 

Copenhagen  continued  to  be  Lis  headquarters  during 
the  succeeding  year  of  1812,  and  in  the  summer  of  that 
year  news  was  received  of  the  dechiration  of  war  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

A  final  effort  to  retrieve  his  fortunes  was  defeated 
after  all  apparent  obstacles  had  been  overcome,  by  an 
event  which  marked  an  era  in  the  history  of  Europe,  in 


162 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


which  the  ruin  of  individual  fortunes  was  of  as  littlo 
moment  as  the  destruction  of  a  etraw  in  the  vortex  of 
Niagara. 

By  the  aid  of  influential  men  in  oflBce,  and  after  great 
difficulty  and  delay,  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  from 
Paris  a  license  for  the  introduction  of  a  cargo  from 
Copenhagen  into  Hamburg  via  Kiel.  The  next  step 
was  comparatively  easy  —  to  obtain  from  the  Danish 
government  a  license  to  introduce  a  cargo  from  Eng- 
land into  Copenhagen.  Severe  restrictions  were  in  both 
cases  exacted  as  to  the  character  of  the  articles  compos- 
ing the  cargo,  but  these  were  complied  with,  the  ad- 
venture arrived  safely  at  Copenhagen  in  June,  and  could 
have  been  sold  at  once  for  a  very  large  profit,  but  the 
prospect  at  Hamburgh  was  bo  much  greater  as  to  jus- 
tify a  disregard  of  the  old  maxim  of  '^  the  bird  in  the 
Land." 

While  engaged  in  the  transshipment  of  the  cargo  into 
Danish  coasters,  to  be  taken  to  Kiel,  some  malicious  or 
envious  person  made  complaint  to  the  government  that 
a  gentleman  who  was  associated  with  him  in  the  busi- 
ness was  an  English  subject,  and  that  the  property  ho 
represented  was  English.  This  led  to  a  seizure  and  a 
legal  investigation,  the  result  of  which  was  the  restora- 
tion of  the  property,  with  acknowledgment  that  it  had 
been  unjustifiably  detained.  The  law's  delay,  however, 
had  protracted  the  detention  to  such  a  late  date,  and  the 
winter  set  in  with  such  severity  at  a  much  earlier  date 
than  usual,  that  before  the  coasters  could  be  despatched 
they  were  fast  in  the  ice  and  so  remained  for  the  winter. 

The  being  forced  to  wait  in  idleness  till  spring  war  of 


RETURN  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


100 


conrso,  a  disappointment,  but  there  existed  no  cause  to 
apprehend  any  depreciation  of  the  vahie  of  the  property, 
for  up  to  tliat  time  the  possibility  of  faihiro  of  any  of 
the  great  projects  of  Napoleon  was  not  taken  into  ac- 
count as  a  factor  in  a  commercial  enterprise.  But  even 
his  power  was  unavailing  against  the  elements.  The 
destruction  of  his  army  in  the  Russian  campaign  of  that 
terrible  winter  was  the  death-blow  of  the  Continental 
system.  The  spring  of  1813  opened  with  the  emanci- 
pation of  Europe  from  the  tyranny  which  had  so  long 
oppressed  it ;  the  ordinary  channels  of  commerce  were 
opened ;  the  markets  were  flooded ;  prices  became  nom- 
inal, and  it  was  only  after  long  delay  and  at  ccusiderable 
sacrifice  that  the  business  was  closed,  and  my  father  pre- 
pared to  return  to  the  United  States,  as  there  no  longer 
existed  an  object  for  remaining  abroad. 

Official  announcement  had  been  made  that  Americans 
landing  in  England  from  the  Continent  would  be  de- 
tained as  prisoners  of  war.  He  therefore  proceeded  via 
Brussels  and  Paris  to  Bordeaux,  and  embarked  for  New 
York,  where  he  landed  on  the  1st  of  January,  1814,  and 
as  he  says  in  his  narrative — 

"  It  will  have  been  seen  that  in  the  four  years  which  had  elapsed 
since  my  departure  from  Boston  in  the  schooner  Maria  for  Naples 
no  efforts  had  been  spared,  no  deficiency  of  perseverance  evinced, 
and  no  opportunity  allowed  to  pass  unembraced  which  presented 
the  prospect  of  bettering  my  fortune. 

"  I  was  once  again  landed  on  my  native  shore  in  good  health  and 
with  an  empty  purse,  but  buoyed  above  the  immediate  pressure  of 
disappointment  by  the  pleasing  anticipation  of  at  least  a  short  re- 
pose in  the  bosom  of  my  family." 

No  opportunity  was  offered  for  renewing  his  ocean 


/■  f 


ei!:!!ii 


104 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


labor  till  after  the  treaty  of  Ghent  and  the  declaration 
of  peace,  except  that  of  privateering,  in  which  it  is  very 
evident  from  his  letters  that  he  was  desirous  to  engage, 
and  doubtless  refrained  in  deference  to  my  mother's 
wishes. 

In  July,  1816,  he  sailed  from  Salem  in  the  employ  of 
some  of  his  friends  thera  in  the  fihip  Exeter^  for  Teneriffe 
and  Batr.via.  This  voyage  occupied  nearly  a  year,  and 
was  not  devoid  of  interesting  incident,  of  which  he  gives 
an  account  in  his  narrative,  but  of  which  I  shall  here  no- 
tice only  certain  references  in  his  letters  to  matters  hav- 
ing no  connection  with  the  direct  object  of  the  voyage. 

Arriving  at  Teneriffe  on  the  26th  of  August,  he  was 
subjected  to  a  quarantin'^  of  eight  days  in  an  open  road- 
stCiwu,  where  ho  anchored  in  fifty-five  fathoms,  and  the 
rolling  of  the  ship  was  wc«6e  than  when  at  sea  under 
sail. 

By  the  English  papers  sent  off  to  him  by  his  consignee 
ho  here  received  the  first  intelligence  of  the  battle  of 
Waterloo,  of  which  he  says,  in  a  letter  to  my  mother  of 
August  28th : 

"The  English  papers  sent  mo  by  Mr.  Little  afforded  such  nn  over- 
whelming flood  of  astonishing  and  extraordinary  news  as  almost 
bewildered  me,  and  required  the  recalling  to  my  mind  the  great 
events  that  had  astonished  the  world  for  two  years  past  to  persuade 
myself  that  I  was  not  dreaming.  The  gre."t  emperor  and  king— he 
^'ho  has  shaken  Europe  to  its  foundations,  and  made  almost  every 
sovereign  in  it  bend  the  knee  to  him,  V\  reduced,  in  the  short  space 
of  three  years,  from  this  tremendous,  and  to  short-siglUod  mortals 
secure  elevation,  to  the  dreadfully  humiliating  dcgradaticii  of  flying 
for  life  and  surrendering  himself  to  the  captain  of  a  lirilish  ship  of 
war  !  \V'hat  wonderful  vicissitudes  has  not  this  man  witnessed  I  Is 
it  not  astonishing  that  ho  should  not  have  preferred  death  ? 


'H!|8: 


A  CLASSICAL  SCHOOL  AT  LANCASTER 


105 


"That  innnkind  continue  to  Bympathlzo  in  his  full  is,  I  tliink, 
evinced  by  the  generosity  whir'-  •  display  in  making  a  proper 
provision  for  him  in  so  very  sa  ....iouh  a  climate  us  tlmt  of  Ht. 
Helena.  Here  I  should  doubt  if  even  with  the  assistance  of  his 
friend,  the  D—l,  ho  would  ever  have  it  in  his  power  to  disturb  the 
world  again.  It  is  not  improbable  that  ov  ny  return  I  may  call  and 
SCO  him." 

His  next  letter,  written  at  sea,  Jannarj  IC,  1816,  con- 
tciins  tlio  first  allusion  to  a  gentleman  whose  acquaint- 
ance he  had  made  during  the  preceding  year  while  at 
homo  in  Lancaster,  and  whose  warm  friendship  ho  re- 
tained till  the  end  of  in's  life. 

I  have  hc'Ttoforo  given  an  extract  from  one  of  ]\\b 
letters  expn  .sing  his  wish  that  his  sons  should  have  the 
best  possible  advantages  of  education.  This  had  been  a 
prominent  object  in  his  mind  during  the  time  ho  was  at 
home,  and  in  order  to  secure  it  ho  had  proposed  the  es- 
tablishment in  Lancaster  of  a  school  of  a  superior  order 
to  those  which  were  then  commou  in  the  country,  and 
offered  to  defray  whatever  additional  expenfo  might  be 
necessary  to  secure  the  services  of  a  classical  teacher. 
In  return  for  this  the  town  authorized  him  to  select  the 
teaclier,  and  ho  at  once  applied  to  President  Kirkland, 
of  Harvard  College,  who  was  his  personal  friend,  and 
through  his  aid  secured  the  servirjes  of  Jared  Sparks, 
then  a  young  man  just  starting  in  a  career  which  is  now 
recorded  in  the  pnges  of  literary  history.  I  shall  have 
more  to  say  on  this  subject  when  speaking  of  my  fa- 
ther's life  in  Lancaster.  I  have  mentioned  it  here  only 
in  explanation  of  the  following  paragraph,  which  con- 
tains further  evidence  of  the  injportanco  he  attached  to 
the  subject  of  education,  and  his  determination  that  no 


106 


VOVAjG£S  of  a  HERCUANT  NAVIGATO&. 


Il'i  1^ 


i 


efi'ort  on  his  part  should  bo  wanting  to  provide  for  his 
sons  tlio  best  means  that  the  country  afforded : 

"  I  am  not  without  apprehension  that  Mr.  Sparks  may  not  be  will- 
ing to  remain  longer  than  the  first  year,  especially  for  a  salary  which 
ho  seemed  to  feel  some  reluctance  in  accepting.  Whatever  part  of 
this  salary  I  may  have  to  pay  (and  this  depends  on  the  number  of 
scholars)  I  had  much  rather  pay  it,  and  oven  add  a  hundred  dollars 
to  the  annual  amount  of  it,  than  that  ho  should  leave.  The  perni- 
cious effects  to  the  pupils  of  a  frequent  change  of  masters  I  am  so 
well  aware  of  that  I  should  bo  willing  to  make  considerable  sacritlces 
to  avoid  it.  The  advantages  to  the  boys  of  being  educated  at  home, 
compared  with  that  of  sending  them  away  at  so  tender  an  age,  is  so 
obvious  and  striking  that  I  :vould  make  great  efforts  and  sacrifices 
of  my  own  convenience  to  secure  it.  I  hope,  therefore,  that  means 
will  be  found  to  induce  Mr.  Sparks  to  remain  at  least  three  years.  I 
feci  so  much  the  importance  of  laying  a  good  foundation  for  educa- 
tion, and  that  the  means  of  enabling  my  boys  to  do  it  is  as  dependent 
on  mo  as  the  supcretructurc  will  afterwards  bo  on  themselves,  that  I 
am  not  less  anxious  to  accomplish  tho  one  than  to  impress  on  their 
minds  a  conviction  of  the  truth  of  tho  other." 

Tho  voyage  to  Batavia  and  back  was  completed  in 
Angust,  181G,  and  ho  then  remained  at  homo  for  nearly 
a  year,  at  tho  end  of  which  time,  being  then  in  his  forty- 
fourtli  year,  he  entered  npon  wliat  may,  in  some  respects, 
be  considered  as  his  most  remaikablo  voyage;  not  in- 
deed on  account  of  the  dangers  of  the  seas,  but  of  tho 
unjust  and  outrageous  treatment  to  which  he  was  sub- 
jected at  the  hands  of  liis  fellow-men,  and  tlic  courage, 
skill,  and  adroit  management  with  which  ho  finally  ex- 
tricated himself  and  achieved  a  triumphant  cuccess. 


CHAPTER  X. 

1817. 

Sails  in  tlio  Ship  Iknvcr  from  New  Yorlc  fof  tlio  West  Coast  of 
Soutli  America. — Seized  at  Talcnlumna. — Plots  to  Talco  the  Span- 
isli  Frigate  F«nfl'a/«a.— -Seized  willi  Fever.— Is  Sent  to  Lima  in 
tlic  Brig  Canton. 

No  opportunity  offered  for  the  prosecution  of  any 
such  enterprising  voyages  as  seemed  especially  atfrac- 
tivo  to  my  father  till  1817,  when  the  news  was  received 
of  a  revolution  in  Chili  and  that  the  people  had  enian- 
cipated  themselves  from  the  government  of  Spain. 

Ti.iis  event,  by  freeing  the  commerce  of  that  country 
from  tlie  paralyzing  restrictions  to  which  it  had  hitherto 
been  subjected,  seemed  to  offer  flattering  prospects  to 
those  mercliants  who  should  be  first  to  avail  themselved 
of  the  opportunity. 

My  father's  knowledge  of  the  wants  and  resources 
of  the  country  gave  him  advantages  which  few  of  his 
countrymen  then  possessed  for  undertaking  a  voyage 
thither.  This  knowicdgo  he  at  once  proceeded  to  turn 
to  account  by  submittir.g  a  plan  of  a  voyage  to  John 
Jacob  Astor,  whoso  sagacious  mind  was  not  slow  to  per- 
ceive tho  very  great  advantages  it  offered,  though  ho 
fully  appreciated  tho  attendant  risks. 

His  favorite  ship,  tho  Beaver  (tho  same  mentioned  in 
Irving's  "Astoria^'),  had  just  been  repaired  at  an  ex- 


168 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR 


pcnsG  nearly  equal  to  that  of  building  her  anew,  and 
was  then  in  fine  condition  for  sneh  a  voyage  as  was  pro- 
posed. The  cargo,  consisting  principally  of  European 
manufactures  to  the  amount  of  $140,000,  and  the  ship 
and  stores,  valued  at  $50,000  more,  formed  an  aggregate 
such  as  no  other  individual  in  the  United  States  would 
(or,  perhaps,  at  that  time  could)  have  risked  on  such  a 
voyage. 

Mr.  Aster's  wisdom  and  liberality  in  leaving  the  whole 
management  to  my  father's  discretion  was  the  best  evi- 
dence of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him,  and  the  only 
exception  in  which  my  father's  wishes  were  overruled 
was  a  chief  cause  of  the  subsequent  misfortunes  which 
befell  them.  This  was  the  shipment  of  a  large  quantity 
of  arms  and  ammunition,  which  my  father  considered 
would  excite  suspicion,  and,  perhaps,  be  made  the  pro- 
text  for  confiscation. 

A  single  paragraph  of  my  father's  narrative  betrays, 
in  a  few  simple  words,  the  depth  of  feeling  he  experi- 
enced and  the  crowd  of  reflections  which  pressed  upon 
him  at  starting  upon  this  new  advcmture,  so  full  of 
causes,  both  of  hope  and  apprehension,  for  the  future ; 
calling  up  such  reminiscences  of  the  past,  such  tender 
thought  of  all  lie  was  leaving,  and  such  anxious  fears  of 
the  possibilities  involved  in  the  years  of  separation 
which  must  necessarily  ensue.  My  mother  had  accom- 
panied him  to  New  York  and  remained  witli  him  till 
liis  departure,  having  mo,  then  in  my  third  year,  in  her 
company.  He  took  leave  of  her,  and  sailed  on  July  1, 
1817,  on  a  fine  day,  with  a  fresh  westerly  breeze. 

"  Before  tbo  dny  closed  (i  trial  ivlth  otlicr  vessels  bouud  to  the  cast- 


VOYAGE  OF  TUS  "BEAVER" 


160 


ward  satisfied  mc  that  tho  ship  sailed  well  and  steered  easily.  Tho 
Wittch  being  set,  as  usual,  at  eight  o'clock,  and  tho  course  given  to  bo 
steered  during  the  night,  I  paced  tho  deck  till  midnight,  pleased  with 
the  quiet  which  had  so  suddenly  succeeded  tho  bustle  of  getting 
away,  and  gave  to  tho  mind  ample  scope  to  dwell  on  scenes  past, 
present,  and  to  come. 

"There  are  few  who  have  not  experienced  tho  pain  of  bidding 
farewell  to  beloved  relatives,  even  though  tho  time  of  separation  is 
limited  to  a  few  weeks,  and  thence  may  be  ablo  to  form  some  idea 
of  their  feeling  of  desolateness  and  homesickness  whose  destiny 
compels  them  to  part  for  years,  perhaps  forever.  Nor  could  tho 
flattering  confidence  manifested  by  my  employers— in  the  superb  ship 
under  my  command,  tho  valuable  cargo  consigned  to  me,  the  entiro 
and  unrestricted  control  of  both,  and  tho  reasonable  prospect  of  a 
happy  result— tend  to  diminish  tho  sadness  which  a  recurrence  to  homo 
always  produced.  Time,  however,  and  tho  imi>erious  duties  of  my 
station,  gradually  lessened  tho  poignancy  of  those  feelings,  and  hopo 
—ever  buoyant  hope— cheered  tho  drooping  spirits,  by  pointing  to  a 
period,  however  distant,  of  a  happy  consummation  of  my  wishes." 

The  voyage  was  tinrnarked  by  any  event  of  special 
interest.  In  tho  hope  of  getting  some  intelligence  of 
tho  state  of  affairs  in  Chili  which  might  be  of  service  to 
liim,  he  endeavored  to  touch  on  tho  coast  of  l^i-azil,  and 
arrived  off  Maldonado  on  tho  8th  of  September ;  buttlio 
Tveathc  was  very  thick  and  stormy,  and  seeing  no  pros- 
pect of  clearing  up,  after  laying  to  for  several  hours, 
ho  abandoned  the  attempt  and  proceeded  on  his  course. 

lie  ncxi  attempted  to  reach  the  Falkland  Islands,  in 
order  to  replenis'i  his  wood  and  water,  so  as  to  avoid  the 
actual  necessity  of  pnttin**  into  a  Chilian  port  if  he  found 
it  advisable  to  avoid  doing  s«>.  Before  orriviog  in  their 
latitude,  however,  a  succession  of  violent  gales  carried 
them  so  far  to  the  eastward  that  the  time  »      lired  to 

reach  theip  would  have  been  unprofitably  spetiL,  and  ho 

8 


11 


if'; 


110 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


accordingly  held  liis  course  for  Cape  Horn,  which  ho 
passed  at  9  a.m.  on  the  27th  of  September,  with  a  smooth 
sea  and  a  favorable  breeze,  to  which  all  the  light  sails 
were  sot. 

On  the  15th  of  October,  1817,  ho  arrived  at  the  Island 
of  Mocha,  and,  in  the  hope  of  getting  information  of 
the  political  sitnation  in  Chili,  lay  off  and  on  for  several 
hours  and  sent  a  boat  ashore,  which  returned  after  hav- 
ing found  no  traco  of  inhabitants  and  no  animals  except 
wild  horses. 

As  a  supply  of  wood  and  water  was  now  a  matter  of 
necessity,  he  determined  to  stop  at  Talcahuana,  presum- 
ing that  as  the  riglit  to  enter  any  port  for  such  supplies 
"vaa  guaranteed  by  treaty,  ho  would  have  no  cause  to 
apprehend  ill-treatment,  whichever  party  might  bo  in 
possession.  Under  these  impressions  ho  arrived  next 
morning  off  tho  port,  and  while  laying  becalmed  was 
boarded  by  an  officer,  who  told  him  that  tho  patriots 
had  possession  of  the  place,  that  ho  was  a  patriot 
officer,  that  the  royal  flag  was  kept  flying  on  the  two 
ships  of  war  as  a  decoy,  that  the  American  brig  Can- 
ton was  in  port  and  was  to  sail  for  Salem  in  two  or 
three  days,  etc.,  all  of  which  was  false  except  that  the 
American  brig  was  the  Canton. 

The  calm  continuing,  ho  wlas  forced  to  let  go  an  anch- 
or, and  soon  after  his  vessel  was  boarded  by  another  and 
apparently  a  superior  officer,  who  wore  tho  royal  uniform, 
and  demanded  the  ship's  papers.  IIo  confirmed  tho 
statements  of  the  previous  visitor,  but  suspicion  was 
awakened  as  to  their  truth,  and,  if  false,  the  motive  must 
forebode  mituhicf.     It  was  necessary  to  decide  at  onco 


ARRIVAL  AT  TALCAUUANA. 


171 


what  coiu*8o  to  adopt.  The  dead  cahn  which  prevailed 
rendered  flight  impossible,  and,  if  a  breeze  came,  the  at- 
tempt to  escape  would  be  a  sufficient  cause  for  pursuit 
and  capture  by  the  frigate  lying  in  plain  sight,  and  which 
might  rr.tionally  be  supposed  to  bo  the  faster  sailer. 
While  the  calm  continued,  the  only  mode  by  which  he 
could  bo  attacked  would  be  by  boats,  which  he  might 
beat  oif;  but  the  attempt  to  do  so,  like  the  effort  to 
escape,  would,  in  case  of  failure,  serve  as  a  justifiable  plea 
for  confiscation.  It  was,  moreover,  obvious  that  if  these 
ships  of  war  were  part  of  the  royal  navy,  the  royalists 
must  still  possess  the  ascendency  at  rca,  and  consequent- 
ly that  the  port  of  Valparaiso  would  be  blockaded,  so  that 
the  attempt  to  enter  there  after  having  forced  his  way 
from  here,  with  a  royal  officer  on  board  to  tell  the  story, 
would  result  in  certain  disaster.  On  the  olher  hand, 
however  vexatious  and  annoying  the  conduct  of  the 
government  m*glit  be,  from  the  feeling  of  resentment 
excited  by  the  suspicion  that  he  intended  to  traffic  with 
their  enemies,  it  ought  not  to  provoke  him  to  acts  which 
would  endanger  the  property,  especially  as  there  v/as  the 
most  undeniable  evidence  of  such  necessity  as  lifid  been 
expressly  provided  for  by  treaty.  The  least  of  two  evils, 
therefore,  seemed  to  be  to  place  himself  in  their  power 
with  the  confidence  of  rght  mspired  by  1  oncF'  intei  tions. 

Accordingly,  when  a  bif'  •  ca  le  i  jxt  morning,  he 
entered  the  port  and  cui  ;  >  anchor  between  the  two 
ships  of  war.  A  guard  was  immediately  placed  on  board, 
and  no  one  was  allowed  to  leave  the  ship. 

Tho  following  letter  gives  an  account  of  what  fol- 
lowed : 


i: 


172 


V0TA6ES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIQATOa 


"On  Board  tiib  'Beaver':  Talcaiiuana,  Nbtember  22, 1817. 

"Adversity  continues  to  assail  mo  witli  the  most  unrelenting  so 
verity.  You  may  remember  tbo  aversion  I  had  that  any  part  of  my 
cargo  should  be  composed  of  arms  and  ammunition.  You  will  not 
doubt  that,  having  them,  I  took  all  the  precautions  in  my  power  that 
the  case  required,  but  these  were  of  no  avail,  and  I  have  been  led  on 
by  my  untoward  destiny  till  I  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  set 
of  unprincipled  beings  who,  with  some  of  the  forms  of  law  and  a 
mockery  of  justice,  are  proceeding  to  the  condemnation  of  my  val- 
uable ship  and  cargo,  and  to  the  consequent  consummation  of  my 
ruin.  ... 

"  As  our  wood  and  water  were  completely  exhausted,!  determined 
to  enter  the  first  port  I  could  in  Chill,  presuming  that,  let  it  be  in 
possession  of  either  party,  they  could  not  fail  to  allow  us  to  supply 
our  wants  and  depart  peaceably.  But  in  these  reasonable  expecta- 
tions I  have  been  sadl}*^  disappointed.  There  was  not  a  port  on  the 
whole  coast  of  Chili  or  Peru  where  my  arrival  would  have  excited 
such  suspicion  as  here,  nor  one  where  the  temptation  offered  by  so 
rich  a  ship  was  so  unlikely  to  be  withstood.  This  port  was  on  the  cast- 
em  side,  in  possession  of  the  republicans;  on  the  western  (which  is 
a  peninsula),  by  the  royalists, who,  having  a  frigate  and  a  sloop-of-war 
here,  possessed  the  uncontrolled  dominion  of  the  waters.  The  roy- 
alists, besieged  or  confined  to  a  little  point  of  land  where  they  had 
consumed  all  their  provisions,  were  dependent  on  the  precarious 
supply  which  their  command  of  the  waters  enabled  them  to  pro- 
cum  clandestinely  from  the  republican  shore. 

"  After  being  so  long  at  sea  to  arrive  at  a  port  where  no  refresh- 
ments could  1)0  procured  was  of  itself  sufficiently  unfortunate,  but 
tinH  is  one  of  the  least  of  the  evils  I  have  suffered. 

The  gencml-in-chief ,  believing  that  my  design  was  to  supply  his 
enemies,  and  particularly^  that  my  arms  and  ammunition  were  in- 
tended for  this  purpose,  has  treated  me  with  a  degree  of  rigor  cor- 
respondent to  this  belief.  Upon  arrival  in  port  my  ship  was  imme- 
diately filled  wiia  an  armed  banditti,  so  ragged,  so  full  of  vermin,  so 
thievish  and  so  uncontrollable  that  a  residence  in  a  den  of  abandoned 
robbers  could  aot  have  been  more  uncomfortable.  These,  after  re- 
maining forty-eight  hours  and  stealing  everything  that  came  in  their 
way,  wore  relieved  by  a  captain  and  his  company  from  the  garrison, 


la^pl 


THE  SHIP  SEIZED. 


173 


^ho  have  behaved  with  more  propriety,  and  who  now  continue  on 
duty  on  board. 

"To  add  to  the  safety  of  these  troops,  not  less  than  tlie  security 
of  the  ship,  the  sails  were  unbent  and  talccn  away,  and  twenty  of  my 
men  were  distributed  into  other  Bhips,  myself  and  officers  confined 
to  the  ship,  and  not  allowed  to  speak  with  any  of  our  countrymen 
belonging  to  the  Canion.  This  vessel,  belonging  to  Mr.  Peabody, 
of  Salem,  had  been  here  two  months,  and  but  for  the  specie  she 
had  on  board  the  place  would  undoubtedly  have  been  surrendered 
to  the  republicans,  as  the  troops  were  on  the  eve  of  revolt  for  their 
pay,  and  the  appropriation  of  this  money  was  all  that  prevented  it. 
I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  to  you  the  anguish  of  my  mind  for 
the  first  few  days  after  the  discovery  of  the  efforts  that  my  captors 
were  making  to  form  some  plea  to  justify  a  robbery  already  decided 
on.  This  was  so  evident  that,  combined  with  the  privations  and 
multiplied  aggravations  to  which  I  was  compelled  to  submit,  exist- 
teuce  became  so  insupportable  that  I  had  determined  to  blow  up  the 
ship,  and  waited  only  for  an  opponunity,  when,  like  Sampson,  my 
exit  should  be  accompanied  by  that  of  my  enemies. 

"  While  waiting  for  this  a  ray  of  hope  presented  itself,  which, 
brightening  by  reflection,  presented  to  my  mind  a  plausible  plan  of 
causing  to  recoil  on  my  enemies  that  ruin  which  they  were  prepar- 
ing for  me;  but  to  execute  this  with  success  a  combination  of  favor- 
able circumstances  was  required,  for  which  I  am  now  anxiously 
waiting.  Its  failure  in  certain  death ;  but  as  this  is  the  only  chance 
of  saving  the  property,  I  am  determined  on  putting  it  in  execution. 
Having  come  to  this  decision  I  write  this  to  leave  with  Mr.  ColDn 
for  you,  but  from  the  very  great  uncertainty  of  its  ever  reaching  you 
it  is  unadvi sable  to  say  all  I  wish. 

"If  I  fail  in  attaining  my  object,  the  world  will  pronounce  the 
attempt  rash  and  foolhardy.  If  I  succeed,  my  conduct  will  bo  as 
decidedly  condemned  by  one  portion  of  my  fellow  men  as  it  will  be 
approved  by  the  other;  but  the  opinion  of  the  world  is  to  me  a  mat- 
ter of  indiflEerence.  You  will  find  excuses  for  me — though  you  can 
have  no  conception  of  the  passion  which  stimulates  rac  to  deeds  of 
desperation — not  less  in  the  unbounded  love  I  bear  you  and  the  dear 
children  (a  protracted  separation  from  whom  I  cannot  reconcile  to 
my  mind),  than  in  the  repeated  and  accumulated  misfortunes  by 
which  I  have  been  assailed. 


jj^ 


174 


VOTAOES  OF  A  MEROHAMT  NAYIOATOa 


!■::' 


"If  it  is  destined  that  I  should  never  again  have  tlic  delight  of 
incctiug  you,  which  God  avert,  my  greatest  solicitude  is  on  account 
of  tlie  want  of  means  to  give  them  such  an  education  as  I  have 
always  designed." 

Ho  thon  calmly  gives  her  a  full  Btateineiit  of  the  ro- 
eources  which  will  be  loft  to  her,  with  advico  as  to  tho 
best  means  of  turning  them  to  account,  and  concludes 
as  follows : 

"My  resolution  is  fixed,  and  my  fate  will  be  decided  in  a  few 
days.  Tliat  tho  Great  Omnipotent  Ruler  of  tho  Universe  may  avert 
tho  danger  that  hangs  over  me,  and  restore  me  once  again  to  my 
beloved  wife,  cliildren,  and  friends,  is  the  ardent  prayer  of  your  most 
affectionate,  devoted,  and,  perhaps  from  this  act,  undeserving  hus- 
band." 

In  a  lettur  to  Mr.  Astor,  of  tho  same  date  as  tho  abovo 
(of  which  I  havo  a  copy  in  his  letter-book),  ho  alludes 
in  a  very  guarded  manner  to  tho  above  project,  and 
gives  directions  in  regard  to  provision  for  his  family  in 
case  of  accident  to  himself.  I  quote  from  his  published 
narrative  tho  account  ho  gives  of  tho  project : 

"Tho  prospect  of  dragging  on  for  an  indefinite  period  the  wretch- 
ed existence  I  had  endured  since  arriving  at  fliis  port  was  insupport- 
able. Mortified  at  tho  humiliating  position  in  which  I  was  placed ; 
goaded  by  the  long  train  of  evils  which  would  inevitably  result  to 
mo  from  the  loss  of  this  property,  and  driven  to  desperation  by  my 
inability  to  perceive  any  prospect  of  a  termination  to  such  misery,  I 
viewed  destruction  in  an  elTort  to  free  myself  as  an  evil  of  less  mag- 
nitude, and  therefore  determined,  if  I  could  induce  my  men  to  join 
me,  to  put  in  execution  a  plan  which  I  had  long  meditated,  and 
which,  like  all  revolutionary  movements,  would  be  deemed  praise- 
worthy or  lawless  as  the  result  should  prove  successful  or  otherwise. 

"  While  laying  between  the  Spanish  vessels  of  war,  where  our  ship 
was  first  anchored,  I  had  a  good  opportunity  of  noticing  the  absence 
of  proper  and  ordinary  discipline.    During  more  than  a  month  I 


I'l!!!!! 


PLAN  FOR  RECOVERY  OP  THE  SHIP. 


175 


p»oed  tlie  Bfartr'H  deck  every  Dight— often  till  the  middle  watch 
had  nearly  worn  away— and  observed  that  more  than  half  the  time 
the  M'ntries  were  so  dcfleient  in  vigllanco  aa  to  l)o  hailed  several 
times  before  unswering.  Perceiving  the  advantage  that  might  result 
if  I  could  substitute  my  answer  for  that  of  the  sentry  on  board  our 
ship,  I  often  took  the  trumpet  and  found  my  '  Alerto'  to  bo  as  cur- 
rent as  that  of  the  SpauiHh  sentry. 

"  I  noticed  also  that  a  great  number  of  men  were  sent  away  in  the 
launches  every  night  to  guard  some  weak  points  ot  the  eastern  ex- 
tremity of  the  town.  With  a  view  of  ascertaining  the  feasibility  of 
rendering  nugatory  our  guard  of  twenty  soldioi  I  tried  the  experi- 
ment of  giving  them  a  can  of  grog  mixed  with  a  littlo  laudanum, 
which  put  them  all  into  so  profound  a  sleep  for  several  hours  as  to 
give  us  entire  control  of  the  ship— a  circumstanco  which  was  con- 
cealed frouk  lioir  superiors  by  my  '  Alerto'  passing  for  that  of  the 
proper  sentry. 

"With  these  preliminary  experiences  and  my  general  knowledge 
of  the  slovenly  manner  in  which  the  duties  of  ofilccrs  an<l  men  were 
performed  on  board  Spanish  8h<  ^  of  war,  it  appeared  to  mo  tliAt  if 
a  favorable  opportunity  presentci  and  my  men  were  resolute,  wo 
might  take  the  <  onimodorc'.s  ship  b>  a  coupde-inain. 

"  It  must  he  obvious  that  tlie  carrying-oul  »u  cessfully  the  plan  I 
had  formed  must  depend  upon  obtaining  possesion  of  the  fastest 
sailing  ship,  which  I  had  ascerta  iicd  to  be  the  Vengan-t.  Onco  in 
possession  of  this  ship,  it  would  not  require  more  than  two  or  ilirco 
hours  before  we  should  have  brougUt  her  to  anchor  in  the  bay  of  SL 
Vincent's,  which  is  only  about  two  miles  to  windward  of  Talca- 
huana.  About  a  mi!o  east  of  tliis  bay  tlio  patriot  army  was  'en- 
camped, the  comman<^'U'  of  which  could  not  fail  to  perreivo  tbe 
advantage  which  fi<rtunv!  had  thus  thrown  in  his  way,  and  would 
lose  no  time  in  a'umlijLhv?  the  number  of  men  requisite  for  the  per- 
formance of  the  varic: '  => ''': uties  on  board.  These  could  b<i  embarked, 
and  a  return  to  Talcahuana  effected  in  twelve  hours  from  the  time 
of  having  left  there,  though  it  is  probable  a  few  additional  hours 
might  bo  required  to  adjust  the  mode  of  proceeding. 

"A  vigorous  and  simultaneous  attack  by  this  frit,'ate  on  one  side 
and  by  the  patriot  army  on  the  other  would  cause  tlie  surrender  of 
tlic  town  and  shipping  in  a  very  short  time.    I  should  then  have 


II  an. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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1.8 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


1.25 

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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


&$> 


:%'  .«j- 


lie 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


gained  possession  of  the  Beaver  with  llie  principal  part  of  her  cargo 
yet  on  board.  But  this  constituted  only  a  small  part  of  my  plan. 
The  main  object,  then,  was  to  revolutionize  the  kingdom  of  Peru; 
and  to  effect  this  purpose  the  way  seemed  to  be  clear,  and  not  very 
difficult  if  I  could  induce  the  Chilian  general  to  furnish  me  with  the 
requisite  jumber  of  men,  which,  as  they  were  no  longer  wanted  at 
Talcahuana,  it  was  presumable  he  would  do. 

"  With  the  Venganza  thus  manned,  and  before  the  possibility  of 
any  account  of  these  transactions  reaching  the  blockading  squadron 
off  Valparaiso,  I  would  proceed  thither  with  Spanish  colors  flying, 
sheer  alongside  the  commodore's  ship,  the  Esmeralda,  before  those 
on  board  had  any  suspicion  of  danger,  and  take  her,  probably  with- 
out losing  a  man.  The  smaller  vessels  composing  the  blockading 
force  would  then  surrender  without  resistance. 

"  When  I  had  thus  been  the  means  of  placing  in  the  power  of  the 
Chilian  government  the  whole  naval  force  of  Peru,  my  personal  ser- 
vices would  be  no  longer  necessary. 

"  Thus  amid  the  pressure  of  misfortune  were  my  spirits  buoyed 
up  with  the  prospect  of  a  change  in  my  affairs,  posssibly  a  brilliant 
one,  conducting  to  fame,  fortune,  the  chastisement  of  my  perse- 
cutors, and,  more  gratifying  than  all,  to  the  restoration  to  my  em- 
ployers of  their  property,  with  abundant  advantage. 

"  The  desperate  measure,  the  execution  of  which  now  occupied 
my  sleeping  as  well  as  waking  hours,  in  which  the  lives  of  myself 
and  associates,  as  well  as  those  of  iuaosent  Spanish  seamen,  would 
be  jeopardized  or  sacrificed,  I  was  aware  would  be  viewed  by  some 
as  high-handed,  lawless,  and  piratical;  by  others  as  a  just  retaliation 
for  the  injuries  I  had  suffered ;  and  by  a  greater  number  as  favoring 
the  efforts  of  an  oppressed  people  for  the  overthrow  of  a  despotic 
government,  and  the  establishment  of  a  liberal  one  in  its  stead,  and, 
therefore,  highly  commendable. 

"But  to  perceive  or  feel  the  full  force  of  the  motives  by  which  I 
was  actuated,  it  is  proper  to  refer  to  some  scenes  in  my  narrative  al- 
ready detailed,  such  as  the  fruit  of  many  years  of  my  hard  earnings 
being  swept  off,  and  myself  and  family  reduced  to  poverty,  by  the 
robbery  of  Admiral  Cochrane,  sanctioned  by  a  wicked  judge  of  vice- 
admiralty  without  a  justifiable  cause  and  in  violation  of  the  law  of 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  ACTION. 


177 


nations;  next,  the  treacherous,  mean,  and  cowardly  manner  in  -which, 
by  order  of  Napoleon,  my  vessel  and  cargo  were  stolen  from  mo  by 
Murat;  and  now  without  having  violated  any  law,  or  deviated  in 
any  degree  from  the  tenor  of  the  existing  treaty,  being  again  stripped 
of  my  property,  reduced  to  penury,  and  goaded  with  the  prospect 
of  the  long  train  of  evils  which  were  inevitable.  Let  such  repeated 
and  deeply  distressing  wrongs  be  brought  home  to  the  breast  of  any 
onQ,  and  if  they  be  not  considered  sufficient  to  justify  the  measure 
on  which  I  had  determined,  they  will  do  much  towards  extenuat- 
ing it." 

Having  very  cautiously  communicated  the  subject  of 
his  thoughts  to  two  of  the  most  trustworthy  of  his  men, 
and  encouraged  them  by  citing  instances  in  which  a  few 
determined  men  had  overcome  a  greatly  superior  num- 
ber simply  by  taking  them  by  surprise,  he  found  them 
ready  and  willing  to  sustain  him  if  he  would  take  the 
lead.  He  then  told  them  to  sound  their  companions  as 
opportunity  offered,  impressing  upon  them  the  necessity 
of  great  caution.  The  result  was  as  he  had  anticipated. 
The  men  were  all  greatly  exasperated  by  the  treatment 
they  had  received,  and  the  loss  of  their  wages,  and  were 
ready  and  earnest  to  engage  in  any  scheme  which  of- 
fered a  chance  of  emancipation.  It  only  remained, 
therefore,  to  make  the  proper  arrangements  and  deter- 
mine upon  the  time  to  strike  the  blow. 

The  mates  of  the  brig  Canton  were  both  kept  on 
board  the  frigate,  and  it  was,  of  course,  a  matter  of  im- 
portance that  they  should  be  enlisted  in  tlic  enterprise. 
For  this  purpose  my  father  made  a  visit  to  the  commo- 
dore, "with  whom  he  had  become  familiarly  acquainted, 
and,  after  conversing  with  him  for  some  time,  took  his 
leave,  and  then  stopped  to  have  a  chat  with  his  country- 
8^ 


i; ' 


I  ( 


1 1 


i'\ 


I 

i 


i  : 


I  ; 

i 

f 


178 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


men  on  tlio  deck.  No  one  else  was  present  but  the  two 
sentries,  neither  of  whom  understood  a  word  of  English. 
They  had  already  heard  from  some  of  the  men  a  rumor 
of  what  was  going  on,  and  admitted  the  feasibility  of 
the  scheme  if  the  men  could  be  depended  on,  and  readi- 
ly agreed  to  take  part  in  it. 

It  had  been  observed  that  on  Sundays,  in  addition'  to 
the  men  sent  off  on  duty,  others  were  allowed  to  go 
ashore  for  amusement,  and  on  Sunday  afternoon  most 
of  the  oflScers  also  were  seeking  recreation  away  from 
the  ship.  It  was  agreed,  therefore,  that  Sunday  after- 
noon should  be  the  time  of  attack.  On  Saturday  after- 
noon they  met  by  agreement  in  a  secluded  place  and 
found  they  numbered  fifteen,  besides  the  two  on  board 
the  frigate.  After  designating  the  men  to  go  in  the 
different  boats,  and  giving  directions  as  to  the  kind  of 
arms  to  be  carried  and  how  they  could  best  be  concealed, 
my  father  gave  them  their  final  directions  as  minutely 
as  possible.  Those  in  the  CanimCa  boat  were  ordered 
to  be  sailing  about  near  the  frigate,  and  when  they  saw 
the  Beaver's  boat  go  to  the  starboard  side  of  the  ship, 
they  were  to  go  alongside  on  the  larboard.  The  boats' 
crews,  mounting  simultaneously  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
ship,  were  instantly  to  clear  the  deck  of  the  Spaniards; 
and  at  the  same  time  those  who  were  designated  for  the 
purpose  were  to  cast  loose  the  fore-topsail  and  cut  the 
cable.  The  wind  at  that  season  was  so  invariably  from 
the  south,  and  blowing  so  fresh,  that  the  possibility  of 
its  failing  them  was  not  even  thought  of,  though  it  was 
obvious  that  it  was  absolutely  essential  to  their  suc- 
cess. 


THE  WIND  FAILS  TO  COME. 


179 


Before  parting  my  father  addressed  them  a  few  words 
of  e  icouragement,  based  upon  a  full  knowledge  which 
lie  presumed  they  possessed  of  the  hazardous  nature  of 
the  undertaking.  He  bade  them  remember  that,  once 
embarked  in  it,  there  could  be  no  retreat ;  that  victory 
or  death  was  the  only  alternative;  that  although  the 
chances  of  a  glorious  result  and  escape  from  the  misery 
they  were  suffering  were  very  favorable  if  they  were 
true  to  each  other,  and  behaved  with  spirit  and  determi- 
nation, yet  the  least  flinching  by  any  one  at  the  criticnl 
moment  might  be  the  ruin  of  all.  If,  therefore,  any 
one  of  them  felt  unequal  to  facing  the  danger,  he  wished 
him  to  avow  it  and  withdraw  while  there  was  yet  time. 
All  being  resolute,  they  dispersed  and  returned  to  the 
ship  in  different  parties. 

Early  Sunday  forenoon  my  father  made  a  call  upon 
the  commodore,  and,  after  spendiug  half  an  hour  with 
him,  and  promising  to  return  in  the  afternoon  with  a 
book  he  wished  to  borrow,  he  spent  some  time  on  deck 
with  the  two  mates,  and  satisfied  himself  by  the  obser- 
vations he  made  that  if  his  men  were  true  he  need  have 
little  anxiety  for  the  result. 

But  when  he  left  the  frigate,  after  eleven  o'clock,  the 
south  wind  had  not  yet  begun  to  blow.  A  dead  calm 
prevailed.  This  was  very  unusual,  and,  of  course,  ex- 
cited great  anxiety.  Hour  after  hour  passed  by  but  no 
breeze  came.  But  it  might  spring  up  suddenly  before 
dark,  and  in  that  hope  the  soothing  draught  was  admin- 
istered to  the  soldiers  on  board  the  Meaver,  which  soon 
had  its  effect,  and  left  the  crew  at  liberty  to  arm  them- 
selves and  make  all  their  preparations  at  leisure.    It  was 


I  f 


I 


1 
if 


i'i 


I ' 


t  , 


1.1 


( »}fi  j 


180 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


I- ' ' 


tm:. 


in  vain.     Day  sank  into  night  without  a  breath  from  the 
south,  and  another  week  of  suspense  awaited  thera. 

Moral  as  well  as  physical  causes  had  doubtless  been 
operating  to  produce  disease,  wliich  for  some  days  had 
been  making  its  approach.  On  tlie  day  after  the  in- 
tended attack  upon  the  frigate  my  father  was  delirious 
with  fever,  and  on  his  recovery  wrote  to  my  mother  as 
follows : 

"Wben  on  the  point  of  putting  my  plan  into  execution  I  was 
suddenly  and  severely  seized  witli  typhus  fever,  which  came  near 
terminating  my  existence.  For  nearly  a  week  I  was  unconscious 
of  all  passing  occurrences,  and  when  I  recovered  the  opportunity 
was  gone,  and  no  alternative  was  left  me  but  submission  to  my  fate. 
During  my  illness  my  ship  and  cargo  were  condemned,  and  I  am 
now  waiting  the  establishment  of  the  court  of  appeal  at  St.  Jago. 
But  before  this  can  take  place  they  have  got  to  perform  the  task  of 
conquering  the  country. 

"For  this  purpose  about  five  thousand  men  marched  from  here  a 
fortnight  since,  with  a  confidence  of  success  founded  on  their  con- 
tempt for  the  enemy,  and  which  may  prove  their  ruin,  as  the  pa- 
triots possess  double  their  number,  and  are  ready  to  meet  them.  If 
the  latter  are  successful  they  will  soon  be  here  again,  when  we  shall, 
in  consequence,  be  sent  to  Lima,  where  the  business  will  soon  be 
settled.  Not  less  prompt  will  be  its  termination  if  the  royalists  are 
decidedly  successful,  but  what  we  have  most  to  dread  is  a  protracted 
warfare,  as  in  this  case  the  only  apparent  limit  to  our  detention  is 
the  expenditure  of  the  proceeds  of  the  shij^  and  cargo.  They  have 
already  issued  a  decree  for  taking  out  of  the  ship  goods  to  the  amount 
of  $100,000.  Their  necessities  have  compelled  them  to  take  this 
property,  and  I  am  much  more  apprehensive  that  they  will  not  pos- 
sess the  ability  to  return  it,  than  of  the  decision  of  the  court  of  ap- 
peal. As  there  is  no  legitimate  cause  for  the  condemnation  of  the 
property,  there  is  no  doubt  it  must  eventually  be  restored;  but  my 
brilliant  prospects  are  ruined,  and  instead  of  indulging  the  pleasing 
idoA  of  passing  the  evening  of  life  in  ease  and  quiet,  I  am  trying  to 
reconcile  myself  to  continued  toil  and  privation,  and  to  bless  my 


DEFECT  OF  THE  ROYAL  ARMY. 


181 


stars  if,  by  such  exertions  and  sacrifices,  I  am  able  to  defray  the  ex- 
pense of  educating  my  boys. 

*'  March  30.— The  army  which  marched  from  here  two  months 
ago  is  said  to  have  gained  a  brilliant  victory  over  the  patriot  forces 
of  double  their  number,  and  the  belief  in  the  truth  of  this  report  is 
so  general  that  they  are  in  daily  expectation  of  hearing  of  the  capt- 
ure of  the  capital,  St.  Jago.  There  are  so  many  letters  to  this  effect 
that  I  cculd  not  fail  to  give  credit  to  them  if  experience  had  not 
taught  me  their  habitual  disregard  of  truth.  Hence  I  have  doubts 
and  fears  which  time  only  can  remove. 

"May  0. — When  I  wrote  you  last  the  royal  troops  were  said  to 
have  gained  a  great  and  decisive  victory,  and  it  was  supposed  that 
there  would  be  no  obstacle  to  their  entering  the  capital. 

"All  the  members  of  the  civil  department  of  the  government  were 
preparing  to  set  off  for  St.  Jago,  and  I  intended  to  accompany  or 
soon  follow  them  for  the  purpose  of  prosecuting  the  appeal  in  the 
tribunal  that  would  be  immediately  established  there,  in  which  I  had 
the  most  flattering  expectations  of  a  restoration  of  the  property. 

"While  all  were  on  the  tiptoe  of  expectation  of  hearing  of  the  en- 
try of  the  royal  army  into  the  capital  and  the  consequent  subjuga- 
tion of  the  countrj^  who  should  make  his  appearance  but  the  com- 
mander-in-chief, General  Ossorio,  weighing  at  least  one  third  less 
than  when  he  set  out,  worn  down  with  fatigue  and  fear,  and  accom- 
panied by  half  a  dozen  meagre  soldiers — altfiost  the  only  remnant  of 
the  once  formidable  royal  army.  They  were  completely  defeated 
on  the  5th  ultimo  near  St.  Jago,  and  th?  second  in  command,  Gen- 
eral Ordonez,  the  man  who  had  been  the  cause  of  my  ruin,  was  made 
prisoner.  The  scene  that  immediately  succeeded  the  arrival  of  the 
general  was  one  of  dismay  and  confusion.  Horses,  mules,  carts, 
wagons,  and  everything  of  the  kind  were  put  in  requisition  to  trans- 
port goods  from  Concepcion  to  this  place.  The  road  for  two  days 
was  crowded,  and  those  who  could  not  procure  conveyances  were 
travelling  on  foot,  some  of  the  women  carrying  infants,  others  their 
poultry,  and  driving  the  family  hog;  and  such  a  universal  panic 
seized  them  that  if  only  five  hundred  of  the  patriots  had  appeared 
this  place  would  have  made  no  opposition.  Talcahuana  became  im- 
mediately even  more  crowded  than  during  the  siege;  every  shed  and 
outhouse,  however  miserable,  was  filled.    The  ships  were  prepared 


i  .{.■ 


182 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


for  taking  off  the  families  and  garrison,  and  everybody  was  occupied 
in  getting  their  effects  on  board.  After  a  week  had  passed,  and  no 
enemy  appeared,  they  began  to  recover  their  senses,  and  even  to 
think  they  might  defend  the  place. 

"  The  prospect  of  a  speedy  termination  of  my  business  was  anni- 
hilated by  this  defeat.  It  was  asserted  that  the  Americans  were 
friendly  to  the  patriots,  and  that  letters  had  been  found  from  Cap- 
tain Biddle,  of  the  United  States  ship  Oatano,  to  the  patriot  chief, 
expressing  sympathy  with  their  cause,  so  that  we  were  looked  upon 
as  enemies.  We  are  now,  therefore,  in  a  most  irksome  state  of  sus- 
pense. 

"  While  one  party  is  desirous  of  defending  the  place,  in  the  be- 
lief that  its  possession  is  important  to  the  reconquest  of  the  country, 
the  other  is  desirous  of  losing  no  time  in  embarking  themselves  and 
their  effects  for  Lima,  and  this  from  the  well-founded  reason  of  the 
total  inability  of  the  royal  party  to  raise  a  force  suflScient  to  offer 
even  a  chance  of  subjugating  the  country.  If  the  first  plan  pre- 
vails, it  is  impossible  to  conjecture  when  I  shall  be  able  to  leave 
here.  If  the  second,  and  we  proceed  to  Lima,  a  decision  will  soon 
take  place;  and  if  my  property  is  restored  I  shall  probably  proceed 
to  China,  or  perhaps  direct  to  America.  If  not  I  shall  take  the 
first  ship  that  sails  either  for  Spain  or  the  United  States.  You 
perceive,  therefore,  that  I  am  entirely  at  a  loss  to  know  when  or 
where  I  am  bound. 

"  The  idea  of  being  obliged  to  absent  myself  again  and  again  from 
my  beloved  family  is  productive  of  gloomy  feelings  in  spite  of  every 
effort  to  ward  them  off.  It  required  the  realization  of  all  my  hopes 
in  regard  to  this  voyage  to  reconcile  me  to  the  absence  from  homo 
which  it  involved ;  and  yet,  0  miserable  man  I  you  have  a  prospect 
of  reaping  only  disgrace  and  ruin. 

"Affairs,  however,  may  yet  take  a  turn,  and  prospects  may 
brighten.  The  Beaver  is  not  yet  sold,  and  only  about  half  the  car- 
go. These  may  be  restored  to  me  by  the  tribunal  of  appeal,  or  one 
of  our  frigates  may  arrive  here  and  compel  a  restoration  of  the 
whole  with  damages.  The  aggravation  is  so  outrageous  that  I  do 
not  see  how  our  government  can  fail  to  take  cognizance  of  it,  and, 
though  it  may  be  some  time  before  the  property  is  realized,  yet  I  am 
confident  it  will  be  eventually. 


THE  "CANTON"  ORDERED  TO  LIMA. 


183 


"May  7.— This  morning  the  general  sent  for  Mr.  Coffin,  of  the 
Canton,  and  myself,  and  told  us  he  was  desirous  of  doing  justice 
without  further  delay,  and  for  this  purpose  had  ordered  the  Canton 
to  be  got  ready  to  proceed  to  Lima,  where  all  our  papers  would  also 
be  sent,  and  where  the  tribunal  of  appeals  would  decide  on  the  le- 
gality of  the  proceedings  towards  us  here.  Here,  then,  is  a  ray  of 
hope  for  the  restoration  of  the  property,  and,  at  any  rate,  a  prospect 
of  relief  from  this  distracting  state  of  suspense.  If  the  property  is 
restored,  as  one  half  the  cargo  is  yet  unsold,  as  the  ship  will  remain 
at  Talcahuana  till  the  decision,  and  as  it  may  be  difficult  to  get  from 
the  government  the  amount  already  expended,  it  may  yet  be  some 
time  before  I  can  leave  this  part  of  the  world;  but  if  I  succeed  in 
recovering  the  property  all  will  end  well." 

The  Canton  was  equipped  for  sea  and  departed  for 
Lima  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  the  relief  even  of  a 
change  of  scene,  after  seven  months  of  continued  priva- 
tions, mortification,  anxiety,  and  disgust  was  inexpressi- 
bly refreshing  and  encouraging. 


or 


CHAPTER  XL 

1818. 

Letters  to  the  Viceroy  and  to  Mr.  Astor. — Arrival  at  Lima. — ^Recep- 
tion by  the  Viceroy. — Goes  to  Valparaiso  on  a  Secret  Mission. — 
The  Beaver  Restored.— Captain  Biddle  Supplies  a  First  Officer. 

Although  the  authorities  at  Talcahuana  pretended 
that  the  order  to  go  to  Lima  was  a  voluntary  act  on 
their  part,  adopted  as  a  measure  of  justice,  it  was  in  re- 
ality the  result  of  an  order  from  the  Viceroy  of  Peru, 
elicited  in  response  to  the  following  letter  from  my  fa- 
ther, which  he  had  sent  hy  the  commander  of  a  ship  of 
war.  This  letter,  and  the  one  which  follows  it  to  Mr. 
Astor,  from  Lima,  I  deem  of  such  importance,  from 
their  intrinsic  interest,  and  as  illustrations  of  character, 
that  I  give  them  at  length. 

"To  his  Excellency  Don  Joaquin  de  la  Pezuela,  Cavalier  of  the 
Grand  Cross  of  the  Royal  Order  of  Isabella  the  Catholic,  Lieutcn- 
ant-General  of  the  Annies,  Viceroy,  Governor,  and  Captain-Gen- 
eral of  Peru, etc.: 

"  Srap  'Beaver,'  Talcahuana,  Januai-y  28, 1818. 
"Most  excellent  Sm, — While  the  kingdom  of  Chili  remains  in 
so  unsettled  a  state  as  to  possess  uo  other  than  a  military  govern- 
ment; while,  by  drawing  its  resources  from  that  of  Peru,  the  evi- 
dence of  its  dependence  on  and  subjection  to  that  government  is  appar- 
ent, and,  moreover,  while  the  Viceroy  of  Peru  is  commander  of  the 
royal  navy  in  these  seaa,  by  a  part  of  whicli  my  ship  was  first  taken 
possession  of,  I  cannot  suppose  that  your  excellency,  on  being  made 
acquainted  with  the  conduct  of  the  men  in  power  here  towards  us, 


LETTER  TO  THE  VICEROY. 


160 


will  fail  to  take  cognizance  of  it,  or  will  view  with  indifference  the 
citizens  of  a  power  in  amity  with  Spain,  not  only  denied  the  com- 
mon rights  of  hospitality,  but  treated — through  the  machinations  of 
two  or  three  malicious,  interested,  and  ignorant  men  in  oihce — with 
a  degree  of  rigor  which  would  hardly  be  justifiable  if  our  respective 
nations  were  actually  at  war  with  each  other. 

"  A  consciousness  of  the  integrity  and  legitimacy  of  my  views,  of 
the  distress  by  which  I  was  compelled  to  enter  the  port,  of  my  right 
to  do  so,  secured  to  me  by  treaty,  and  of  my  having  violated  no  law 
of  this  country  are  causes  which  relievo  me  from  any  feeling  of  ap- 
prehension of  the  event  of  the  most  rigid  scrutiny  in  a  tribunal 
composed  of  honest,  intelligent,  and  honorable  men,  and  I  have 
therefore  repeatedly  urged  the  propriety  of  being  sent  to  Lima,  and 
have  appealed  to  the  decision  of  the  tribunal  there.  But  the  men 
who  have  been  so  ready  to  condemn  my  valuable  ship  and  cargo 
have  other  views,  widely  different  from  the  dispensation  of  justice  or 
the  benefiting  of  the  state  ;  and  consequently  have  not  only  refused 
this,  but,  as  if  fearful  that  an  order  for  this  purpose  might  come 
from  Lima,  or  by  some  other  means  the  property  escape  their 
grasp,  have  issued  a  decree  for  taking  out  of  the  ship  the  amount  of 
$100,000,  and  acted  upon  it  with  a  degree  of  precipitancy  which 
gives  additional  evidence  of  such  apprehension. 

"With  a  view  apparently  to  save  appearances,  and  as  an  apology 
for  a  trial,  some  formalities  have  been  observed,  but  such  only  as,  in 
any  country  where  honesty  is  esteemed  a  virtue,  would  stamp  its 
conductors  with  merited  infamy. 

"The  answers  to  the  interrogatories  were  attempted  to  be  inter- 
preted, and  the  ship's  papers  translated,  by  two  common  sailors, 
men  without  education,  and  who  know  not  any  one  rule  of  grammar 
even  in  their  native  language. 

"At  a  period  when  my  life  was  despaired  of  from  a  severe  attack 
of  fever,  as  if  to  add  insult  and  cruelty  to  violence  and  injustice,  an 
officer  was  sent  to  me  with  the  papers  relating  to  the  proofs,  in  or- 
der that  I  might  make  my  defence.  My  total  incapacity  to  give  the 
least  attention  to  this  was  not  less  evident  than  I  believe  it  to  have 
been  gratifying  to  my  persecutors,  who,  without  hesitancy,  named  a 
Mr.  Antigas  to  defend  my  cause — a  man  whom  I  had  then  never 
even  seen,  and  the  little  acquaintance  I  have  had  with  him  since  has 


It 


i    : 


<m 


186 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


noi  inspired  me  with  mucli  respect  for  his  talents  or  energy;  but  i 
doubt  not  he  is  such  a  person  as  suited  the  views  of  the  prosecuting 
party.  His  acqual'.tance  with  the  law  I  understand  to  bo  very  su- 
perficial, and,  moreover,  that,  not  having  a  diploma,  whatever  efforts 
he  might  make  in  our  behalf  would  have  had  no  validity.  Under 
such  circumstances  the  issue  of  the  trial  (if  such  proceedings  can 
merit  the  name)  has  been  such  as  did  not  require  a  gift  of  prophecy 
to  foretell.    My  ship  and  cargo  have  been  declared  a  prize. 

"  Contrary  to  the  accustomed  usages  of  all  nations,  and  as  if  con- 
scious of  the  unfairness  of  the  proceedings,  1  have  been  denied  the 
perusal  of  any  papers  relating  to  the  process,  and  am  yet  ignorant 
of  the  reasons  (if  they  have  found  any)  for  the  condemnation.  If, 
however,  they  are  not  more  legitimate  and  well-grounded  than  those 
exhibited  in  the  decree  for  taking  out  a  part  of  the  cargo,  if  thero 
js  equal  evidence  of  such  glaring  injustice  and  prostitution  of  forma 
iii'tho  former  as  in  the  latter,  the  most  depraved  tribunal  would  bo 
ashamed  not  to  reverse  the  decree  of  condemnation.  Of  the  decree 
to  which  I  allude  I  enclose  your  excellency  a  copy,  not  only  as  a 
curiosity,  but  as  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  important  con- 
cerns are  conducted  here,  and  will  waive  any  comments  other  than 
such  as  are  excited  byiho  inconsistency  and  contemptible  hypocrisy 
of  exhibiting  a  show  of  fairness  in  naming  the  commissioners  to  ap- 
praise the  goods,  and  at  the  same  time  warning  them  against  apprais- 
ing them  too  high.  The  consequence  has  been  such  as  was  naturally 
to  be  expected  and  was  intended.  The  commissioners,  held  in  awe  by 
the  tenor  of  the  decree  (if  not  influenced  by  interested  motives)  have 
selected  the  best  and  most  valuable  part  of  my  cargo,  and  in  many 
instances  have  appraised  goods  at  less  than  their  first  cost,  and  in  all 
were  insensible  of  their  enhanced  value  by  the  expense  of  insurance 
and  freight. 

"  The  prospects  of  my  voyage,  even  in  the  event  of  a  speedy  re- 
versal of  the  decree,  are  utterly  ruined,  and  the  amount  of  injury  I 
have  suffered  will  probabl}*^  remain  to  be  discussed  and  settled  by  the 
governments  of  Spain  and  the  United  States. 

"Nearly  four  months  have  already  elapsed  since  my  arrival  in 
this  port,  and  it  is  said  to  be  the  intention  of  the  prosecutors  that 
my  detention  shall  be  continued  till  the  re-esta'Ni  ^  meut  of  the  royal 
government  in  St.  Jago.    But  I  cannot  help  ii>'    ..■ring  myself  that 


LETTER  TO  MR.  ASTOR. 


18T 


your  excellency,  reflecting  on  the  precariousncfs  of  the  event  of 
war,  will  detcrraino  to  despatch  a  conditional  order  for  our  proceed- 
ing to  Lima,  in  the  event  of  the  rcconquest  of  ih'.z  kingdom  not  hc- 
ing  accomplished  within  a  limited  time. 

"  In  this  rational  hope,  which  seems  to  afford  the  only  prospect  of 
terminating  the  wretched  state  of  suspense  and  persecution,  I  suh- 
scribo  myself,  with  the  most  profound  respect,  etc.,  etc. 

"R.  J.  Cleveland." 


'■  Lima,  July  25, 181S. 

"  JoiiN  Jacob  Astoh,  Esq.,— At  a  period  when  it  is  obvious  that 
the  most  important  consequences  may  result  from  a  speedy  com- 
munication between  this  government  and  Talcahuana,  they  are  sel- 
dom able  to  accomplish  it  in  a  more  limited  time  than  three  months. 
The  order  for  my  proceeding  to  Lima  was  communicated  to  mo 
on  the  7th  of  May,  immediately  after  its  arrival,  and,  I  have  since 
learned,  was  the  effect  produced  by  my  letter  to  the  viceroy  of  the 
28th  of  January.  He  ordered  the  Beaver  to  be  sent  hero  at  the  same 
time,  but  General  Ossorio,  being  apprehensive  that  ho  might  be 
obliged  to  evacuate  the  place,  detained  her  for  the  purpose  of  assist- 
ing in  bringing  away  the  garrison  and  inhabitants.  This  order  has 
been  reiterated  by  a  ship  wliich  was  despatched  by  this  government 
and  sailed  on  the  28d  of  June,  and  which  ship  is  destined  to  supply 
the  place  of  the  Beaver. 

"  I  arrived  here  on  the  28th  of  May  with  the  ship's  papers  and  all 
the  documents  relative  to  the  process,  and  lost  no  time  in  waiting 
upon  the  viceroy  in  company  with  Mr.  CofBn,  the  supercargo  of  the 
Ca7iton. 

"Our  interview  was  short.  The  viceroy  accused  the  Americans 
and  English  of  promoting  and  encouraging  the  rebellion  by  furnish- 
ing arms  and  ammunition,  of  contravening  the  laws  by  introducing 
merchandise  into  the  country,  and  carrying  away  the  specie,  without 
paying  a  duty  on  the  export  or  import,  and  generally  of  seriously 
injuring  the  commerce  and  prosperity  of  the  country.  But,  never- 
theless (he  added),  we  might  rely  on  his  protection  while  here,  and 
that  justice  should  be  administered  to  us.  Without  waiting  for  a 
reply  he  abruptly  left  us. 

"  Some  weeks  elapsed  before  it  could  be  decided  whether  the  cause 


)\ 


I" 
ii 


l! 


i  \'  ■ 


m 


Wi 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


s'aould  be  tried  by  the  royal  hacienda,  or  by  the  marine,  but  Tvas 
linally  determined  for  the  latter.  In  the  meantime  the  papers  had 
undergone  a  scrutiny  by  the  general  as  well  as  the  assessor  (or  at- 
torney) of  the  marine.  The  former  assured  us,  as  his  private  opin- 
ion, that  there  was  no  cause  for  condemnation,  and  that  the  vessels 
and  property  must  be  restored  to  their  original  owners.  The  latter 
has  expressed  the  same  opinion  to  an  acquaintance  of  mine,  who 
communicated  it  to  me.  On  the  28th  ult.  the  Ontario  returned  from 
Valparaiso,  and  brought  as  passenger  a  Mr.  Robinson,  vested  with 
powers  from  Mr,  Provost  to  prosecute  the  suit  of  the  Beaver  and 
Canton,  and  provided  with  some  collateral  evidence  in  favor  of  the 
former.  On  his  being  presented  and  making  known  the  object  of 
his  visit,  the  viceroy  assured  him  that  the  business  was  in  proper 
train  and  should  be  accomplished  as  soon  as  possible,  that  the  con- 
duct of  the  government  of  Talcahuana  with  regard  to  those  vessels 
was  very  reprehensible,  and  that  he  had  annulled  all  their  proceed- 
ings. I  am  induced  to  believe,  therefore,  that  there  is  little  doubt  of 
a  favorable  result  here,  and  an  immediate  restoration  of  the  vessels. 
But  as  it  respects  the  property  already  expended,  the  poverty  of  this 
government  is  such  that  its  immediate  restoration  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. Indeed,  Mr.  Provost  was  so  satisfied  of  this  that  in  his  instruc- 
tions to  Mr.  Robinson  he  recommended  him  (on  reversal  of  the  sen- 
tence) to  get  an  acknowledgment  of  the  debt,  but  not  to  urge  its 
payment.  However  politic  this  advice  may  be,  I  shall  not  be  gov- 
erned by  it,  but,  on  the  contrary,  will  leave  no  means  unattempled 
which  offer  the  least  prospect  of  attaining  this  desirable  end.  The 
mission  of  Messrs.  Provost  and  Robinson  may  have  had  a  beneficial 
influence  on  our  affairs,  inasmucn  as  it  evinces  a  watchfulness  and  de- 
termination on  the  part  of  our  government  to  protect  the  commerce 
of  its  citizens;  but  I  am  fully  convinced  that,  with  this  government, 
one  such  vessel  as  the  Ontario  is  of  more  utility  than  a  host  of  ne- 
gotiators, nor  do  I  believe  that  the  united  powers  of  a  Demosthenes 
and  a  Cicero,  with  truth  and  justice  on  their  side,  would  be  in  any 
degree  so  efl3cacious  as  the  silent  eloquence  of  one  of  our  formidable 
frigates. 

"I  had  scarcely  accomplished  delivering  the  cargo  of  the  Beaver 
at  Talcahuana,  when  the  news  of  the  destruction  of  the  royal  army 
threw  everything  into  confusion  and  suspended  the  settlement  of  the 


z^ 


LETTER  TO  MR.  ASTOR. 


189 


business  ■with  the  commissioners.  They  had  at  this  time  appraised 
to  the  amount  of  about  $188,000,  and  the  goods  remaining  unap- 
praised  I  suppose  to  be  worth  $30,000  more. 

"  When  General  Ossorio  ordered  them  to  pay  into  the  treasury  the 
amount  of  sales  they  had  made,  and  to  have  the  goods  which  re- 
mained on  hand  transported  from  Concepcion  ilcahuana,  it  was 
discovered  that  nearly  one  half  of  the  cargo  was  yet  unsold.  It  is 
not  improbable  that  the  general  will  appropriate  as  much  of  this  as 
he  can  convert  into  cash,  and  the  remainder  will  come  here  in  the 
Beaver.  If  he  should  not  have  been  able  to  eflfect  a  sale  of  these 
goods,  and  they  are  sent  here,  I  hope  to  recover  and  realize  an  amount 
from  them  which  will  enable  me  to  employ  the  ship  advantageous- 
ly. My  views  now  are  on  reversal  of  the  sentence  of  Talcahuana, 
to  get  possession  of  the  ship  and  as  much  of  the  property  as  I  can 
without  delay.  The  aggregate  amount  of  principal  and  damages 
will  be  about  $300,000,  of  which  I  may  get  from  the  cargo  remain- 
ing on  hand  $100,000,  leaving  $200,000  due  from  the  government, 

"As  there  is  no  probability  of  their  possessing  the  means  of  pay- 
ing this  directly,  I  shall  propose  to  them  to  grant  me  some  privileges 
for  the  introduction  of  cargoes,  the  duties  on  which  to  go  towards 
cancelling  the  debt.  At  the  present  time  a  handsome  voyage  might 
be  made  to  Valparaiso  and  back,  but  it  is  probable  that  before  I  am 
put  in  possession  of  my  ship  advantage  will  be  taken  of  it  by  others 
and  the  business  rendered  not  worth  pursuing.  In  this  case  I  shall 
try  to  get  a  license  for  the  introduction  of  a  cargo  from  China,  on  the 
presumption  that  here  and  at  Canton  I  may  be  able  to  get  from  five 
to  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  shipped  on  a  propor- 
tion of  the  profits,  which  profits,  combined  with  the  duties  on  so 
large  an  amount,  would  furnish  a  capital  to  invest  in  China  for  the 
United  States  equal  to  the  original  exportations;  but  as  this  voyage 
would  meet  with  powerful  opposition  from  the  Philippine  Co.,  its 
being  granted  is  very  problematical.  In  the  event  of  failure  in  this, 
there  can  be  no  opposition  to  a  cargo  from  the  United  States,  and  as 
there  exists  no  prospect  of  recovering  the  debt  except  by  an  opera- 
tion of  this  kind,  not  a  moment  should  be  lost  in  putting  it  in  ex- 
ecutiou.  I  should,  therefore,  proceed  immediately  to  Guayaquil, 
load  my  ship  with  cocoa,  and  sail  direct  for  New  York. 

"You  will  perceive,  sir,  that  I  am  anxious  to  adopt  that  plan 


■|  I 


(-  i 


U  . 


- 

I      i 


i 


't 


H* 


190 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


which  presents  a  prospect  of  the- most  speedy  accomplishment,  not 
alone  from  a  conviction  that  despatch  is  the  life  of  business,  but  hav- 
ing in  view  that  a  political  change  here  may  annihilate  the  advan- 
tage of  our  exclusive  privilege;  for  notwithstanding  I  perceive  no 
immediate  prospect  of  such  change,  yet  there  is  no  misfortune  which 
may  occur  which  I  ought  not  to  take  into  consideration. 

"After  all  the  flattering  inferences  I  have  drawn  from  the  conduct 
and  observation  of  the  ruling  men  of  this  country  (I  mean  Lima)  re- 
lating to  us,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  dissimulation,  deceit,  ly- 
ing, and  theft,  with  the  combination  of  vices  incident  to  excessive 
ignorance,  bigotry,  and  superstition,  are,  with  few  exceptions,  not 
less  the  characteristics  of  the  higher  than  of  the  lower  classes  of 
society,  and  that  if  any  evidence  of  the  observance  of  the  rule  of 
justice  is  shown  us,  it  will  proceed  alone  from  the  apprehension  of 
the  mischief  that  may  result  from  a  contrary  course. 

"I  have  now,  sir,  given  you  a  general  idea  of  the  state  of  your 
affairs  under  my  charge,  and  have  been  willing  to  incur  the  risk  of 
being  considered  tedious,  rather  than  that  of  being  deficient  in  con- 
veying to  you  all  the  information  of  which  I  am  desirous  you  !:;uuuld 
be  possessed,  and  while  I  acknowledge  that  my  mind  continues  to 
be  unceasingly  agitated  with  alternate  hope  and  fear,  I  nevertheless 
flatter  myself  that  my  next  will  be  more  decisive  and  satisfactory. 

"August  1. — Since  writing  the  preceding  Mr.  Provost  has 
touched  here  (in  the  Blossom,  English  sloop-of-war)  on  his  way  to 
Columbia  River  for  a  purpose  which  you  arc  doubtless  better  ac- 
quainted with  than  I  am.  Previous  to  his  arrival  I  had  determined 
to  go  to  Valparaiso  with  the  view  of  making  arrangements  with  the 
government  there  for  those  advantages  which  the  peculiar  situa- 
tion of  ray  ship  leads  me  to  believe  will  be  exclusively  mine.  His 
opinion  coincided  with  mine  in  the  propriety  of  this  step,  particu- 
larly as  my  presence  here  would  not  accelerate  the  decision  of  our 
process,  and  also  as,  in  case  of  any  accident  to  myself,  Mr.  Eobinson 
was  here  to  attend  to  the  business  and  fill  my  place.  I  shall  sail  to- 
morrow in  the  Englisll  frigate  Andrornaclie,  Captain  Sheriffe,  who 
has  politely  offered  rue  a  passage. 

"The  public  exigencies  are  such  here  that,  for  several  days  past, 
the  question  of  opening  the  port  to  foreigners  has  been  agitated  with 
a  degree  of  warmth  corresponding  to  its  importance,  and  the  jarring 


A  SECRET  MISSION. 


191 


interests  such  a  measure  must  necessarily  create.  It  lias  been  averted 
for  the  moment  by  the  holders  of  goods  contracting  to  loan  the  gov- 
ernment the  amount  of  which  they  are  in  immediate  want,  but,  as 
this  mode  of  supply  will  doubtless  be  discovered  to  be  precarious,  it 
is  highly  probable  that  before  the  expiration  of  six  months  they 
will  be  compelled  to  admit  foreign  ships.  In  this  event  it  is  proba- 
ble that  a  competition,  similar  to  that  which  has  been  exhibited  in 
Chill,  will  take  place  here,  and  with  similar  effect.  One  or  two 
good  voyages  may  be  made  and  many  bad  ones;  indeed,  the  supply  of 
manufactures  which  will  be  immediately  thrown  in  here  from  Chili 
will  be  such  as  to  make  a  speculation  from  the  United  States  ex- 
tremely hazardous. 

"  It  is  possible  that  before  the  order  for  the  Beaver^s  coming  hero 
can  be  executed  at  Talcahuana,  that  place  may  have  surrendered  to 
the  republicans,  in  which  case  I  may  find  the  ship  at  Valparaiso, 
ready  to  be  delivered  to  me  in  conformity  with  the  promise  made  by 
that  government  to  Mr,  Provost.  If  the  place  should  not  have  fallen 
the  ship  will  soon  be  here,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  she 
will  be  restored  to  me,  together  with  as  much  of  the  cargo  as  shall 
then  remain  unsold. 

"The  bearer  of  this  (Mr.  Reynard)  is  as  well  informed  of  tho 
probable  result  of  my  affairs  here  as  I  am  myself,  and  I,  therefore, 
refer  you  to  him  for  such  information  as  may  have  escaped  me  on 
this  subject,  and  likewise  for  such  on  another  subject  as  prudence 
forbids  my  descanting  upon  at  the  present  juncture." 

The  allusion  at  the  conclusion  of  this  letter  has  refer- 
ence to  a  delicate  errand  involving  no  inconsiderahle 
personal  risk.  His  ostensible  object  in  going  to  Valpa- 
raiso was  to  make  a  shipment  of  wheat  to  Lima,  on  which 
he  perceived  an  opportunity  for  large  profits,  tho  neces- 
sary capital  for  which  was  furnished  by  a  rich  mercan- 
tile hor»so  in  Lima.  But  in  addition  to  this  he  had  an 
ulterior  object  which  afforded  the  best  possible  evidence 
of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  the  viceroy.  He 
was,  in  fact,  sent  by  him  on  a  secret  mission,  and  tho 


192 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


license  to  ship  wheat  to  Lima  was  given  him,  not  only 
as  a  compensation,  bnt  as  a  blind  to  cover  the  real  object 
of  his  visit  to  Valparaiso.  The  patriot  government  of 
Chili  was  negotiating  for  the  purchase  of  a  sixty-four- 
gnn  ship  belonging  to  the  East  India  Company,  and  then 
lying  in  that  port ;  but  at  the  last  accounts  they  had 
been  unable  to  comply  with  the  terms  demanded.  In 
order,  if  possible,  to  prevent  the  consummation  of  the 
bargain,  my  father  was  authorized  by  the  viceroy  to 
endeavor  to  make  a  secret  purchase  of  her  for  account 
of  the  Spanish  government.  Ho  took  passage  in  the 
British  frigate  Andromache^  provided  with  the  necessary 
authority  for  making  the  negotiation,  but  found  on  ar- 
riving at  Valparaiso  that  the  Chilians  had  already  con- 
summated the  purchase  and  were  in  possession  of  the 
sliip. 

Some  considerable  time  elapsed  before  he  could  se- 
cure a  vessel  to  take  a  return  cargo  to  Lima,  and  various 
causes  delayed  her  departure,  so  that  it  was  late  in  Octo- 
ber before  he  arrived  there. 

The  following  letter  to  Mr.  Astor,  from  Valparaiso, 
shows  how  fully  his  mind  was  occupied  with  devising 
means  to  retrieve  the  misfortunes  he  had  encountered. 
It  will  be  seen  by  the  explanation  given  in  this  letter 
that  he  had  been  restrained  from  writing  by  the  same 
prudential  reasons  which  affected  him  at  Calcutta. 


"  Valpakaibo,  September  1, 1818. 

"  John  Jacob  Astor,  Esq.,— At  the  date  of  my  last  I  was  on  the 

point  of  leaving  Lima  for  this  place  on  a  mission  which  had  for  its 

object  the  restoration  of  your  ship  and  cargo.    Whether  a  partial 

accomplishment  of  it  will  tend  to  this  effect  time  only  can  deter- 


CAPTAIN  BIDDLE  AT  CALLAO. 


193 


mine.  I  had,  however,  such  assurances  of  her  restoration  that  I 
shall  feel  justified  in  being  at  the  expense  of  taking  with  mc  to  Lima 
two  mates,  if  I  can  engage  here  such  as  will  suit  me.  .  .  . 

"  I  shall  leave  this  in  about  three  weeks  for  Lima,  where  I  hope 
to  ilr.d  the  cause  decided  favorably  and  the  Beaver  arrived  and  at 
my  'lisposal.  In  this  case,  if  the  government  do  not  pay  me,  I  shall 
endeavor  to  get  permission  for  the  introduction  of  a  large  cargo  from 
China,  the  duties  on  which  to  be  appropriated  to  this  purpose ;  or, 
failing  in  this,  I  may  possibly  obtain  sufficient  to  lade  the  ship  with 
cocoa  for  your  account  for  Europe  or  the  United  States;  or  I  may  be 
able  to  employ  her  advantageously  for  a  few  months  between  Lima 
and  this  port.  In  the  adoption  of  either  of  these  or  any  other  plan 
I  shall  be  influenced  only  by  the  desire  of  doing  that  which  shall 
afford  the  fairest  prospect  of  promoting  your  interest.  Amid  the 
perplexities  and  misfortunes  which  attend  me  I  derive  consolation 
from  the  reflection  that  I  have  afforded  the  royal  government  not 
even  the  shadow  of  cause  for  condemning  the  property;  that  it 
must  therefore  be  restored;  and  that  if  the  period  of  its  recovery 
should  yet  be  distant,  it  will,  nevertheless,  turn  out  more  advan- 
tageously to  you  than  to  have  arrived  ^fe  at  this  port. 

' '  The  Packet,  of  Boston,  is  now  here,  having  disposed  of  only  about 
half  her  cargo,  and  at  little  or  no  advance  on  its  cost,  and  generally 
the  speculations  here  will  eventuate  unprofitably." 


h 


On  arriving  at  Callao  he  found  that  Captain  Biddle, 
of  the  United  States  ship  Ontario,  had  been  earnestly 
urging  the  release  of  the  Beaver,  by  representing  to 
the  viceroy  that  her  seizure  was  regarded  by  the 
United  States  government  as  a  very  serious  cause  of 
complaint.  Of  these  efforts  on  the  part  of  Captain 
BiddJe  my  father  says,  in  his  narrative : 


"These  representations  doubtless  had  an  effect  in  hastening  the 
business,  but  the  restoration  of  the  ship  and  what  remained  of  her 
cargo  were  acts  entirely  independent  of  these  efforts,  and  are  of  a 
description  which  prudential  reasons  prevent  being  made  public." 
0 


194 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


m. 


This  has  reference  to  the  secret  mission  on  which  he 
had  been  employed,  and  which  it  would  have  been  dis- 
courteous to  have  published  while  the  viceroy,  Don 
Joaquin  de  la  Pezuela,  was  still  living. 

The  character  of  the  viceroy  seemed  indeed  to  form 
a  striking  contrast  with  that  of  most  of  the  Spanish 
oflBcials  whom  he  had  encountered.  He  appreciated  the 
frankness  and  honesty  as  well  as  the  energy  and  busi- 
ness capacity  of  my  father's  character,  and  not  only  gave 
liim  marked  proofs  of  his  confidence  at  that  time,  but, 
years  afterwards,  when  he  accidentally  met  him  at  Ma- 
drid, ho  manifested  his  friendly  remembrance  by  the 
kindest  acts  of  hospitality. 

His  first  letter  from  Lima  after  his  return,  dated 
November  30, 1818,  announces  the  reversal  of  the  de- 
cree of  Talcahuana  and  the  restoration  of  the  ship. 

"Thus,  my  dear  wife,  after  having  been  deprived  of  my  com- 
mand of  the  Beaver  for  thirteen  months,  I  am  again  reinstated. 
But  what  a  contrast  between  the  ship  I  left  and  the  one  restored 
to  me !  It  will  require  an  outlay  of  at  least  five  thousand  dol- 
lars to  put  the  ship  in  as  good  a  state  as  when  I  left  her,  and  if 
the  labor  were  to  be  performed  by  the  common  seamen  picked  up 
here  it  would  be  an  excessively  tedious  job;  but  fortunately  Cap- 
tain Sheriffe,  of  the  English  frigate  Andromache,  is  equally  disposed 
with  Captain  Biddle  to  render  me  every  assistance,  and  as  '  many 
hands  make  light  work,'  I  shall  soon  have  my  ship  put  in  good  order 
again  by  men  from  these  vessels  of  war.  Although  this  govern- 
ment is  not  able  to  return  me  the  amount  of  the  cargo,  the  decision 
is  highly  important  to  all  concerned,  inasmuch  as  it  must  exonerate 
me  from  or nsure,  and  will  afford  us  a  just  claim  for  the  most  ample 
damages. 

*'  The  satisfaction  naturally  arising  from  this  event  is  nearly  coun- 
terbalanced by  the  reflection  that  it  must  retard  rather  than  accele- 
rate my  return.    The  government  has  no  means  of  cancelling  their 


DAWNING  HOPE. 


100 


debt  to  me  except  that  of  a  privilege  for  the  introduction  of  a  cargo 
here,  the  duties  on  which  to  be  appropriated  to  this  purpose.  Hence 
the  necessity  of  an  operation  -which  must  add  another  year  to  my 
already  long  absence;  but  imperious  duty  demands  this  sacrifice, 
and  in  making  it  I  become  reconciled,  from  the  prospect  it  affords  of 
doing  away  with  the  necessity  for  any  future  separation.  God  grant 
that  no  untoward  event  may  occur  to  blast  this  prospect,  to  annihi- 
late this  cheering  hope,  which  has  tended  to  buoy  mo  up  amidst 
the  multiplicity  of  ills  by  which  I  have  been  threatened  to  be  en- 
gulfed. .  .  . 

*'  I  meet  with  general  congratulations  on  the  restoration  of  my 
ship  by  those  who  suppose  it  to  be  a  great  piece  of  good  fortune; 
but  unless  some  privilege  is  granted  us  it  is  directly  the  reverse,  in- 
asmuch as  my  emolument  was  to  be  derived  from  the  cargo,  without 
which  the  ship  is  only  an  embarrassment,  unless  accompanied  by 
some  special  license. 

"  A  petition  for  a  voyage  to  China  and  back  here,  with  a  proposal 
that  the  duties  thereon  shall  be  appropriated  to  the  payment  of  our 
claims,  is  now  before  the  government;  but  as  the  viceroy  is  timid, 
and  we  have  the  whole  weight  of  the  Philippine  Company  against 
us,  I  do  not  flatter  myself  with  success.  Failing  in  this,  there  seems 
to  be  no  other  alternative  than  applying  to  the  court  of  Spain— the 
fountain  -  head  of  prevarication,  evasion,  and  dissimulation  —  and 
where  the  chance  of  success  is  in  an  exact  ratio  with  their  appre- 
hension of  consequences.  In  this  event  I  shall  endeavor  to  lade  my 
ship  with  cocoa  and  proceed  to  Gibraltar,  where  I  may  probably 
arrive  in  June,  and  be  with  you  in  the  autumn  of  1819. 

"  How  does  my  heart  leap  with  joy  at  the  idea  of  being  again  at 
home!  How  does  my  imagination  trace  the  expressive  countenance 
of  each  individual  of  the  dear  circle  1  How  naturally  and  recip- 
rocally will  the  observations  of  the  ravages  of  time  and  care  be 
called  forth  1  And  how  earnestly  will  my  dear  boys  desire  a  relation 
of  the  adventures  of  their  poor,  old,  careworn  father." 

I  cannot  repeat  the  many  interesting  details  which 
my  father  gives  in  his  narrative  of  his  experiences  after 
the  restoration  of  the  ship  in  endeavoring  to  retrieve  his 
own  fortunes,  and  also  to  make  good  the  losses  which 


!  : 


196 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


had  fallen  upon  the  underwriters,  to  whom  the  ship  had 
been  long  since  abandoned.  But  in  order  that  their 
action  on  his  return  should  appear  in  its  true  light  it 
is  proper  to  give  a  general  outline  of  what  he  accom- 
plished. 

A  leading  merchant  of  Lima,  presuming  that  he  would 
adopt  tho  usual  shorthand  course  of  selling  the  ship  at 
auction  for  the  benefit  of  the  underwriters,  proposed  to 
him  to  buy  her  in  for  joint  account,  and  employ  her  in 
freighting  on  the  coast — his  famishing  the  capital  being 
considered  an  equivalent  to  my  father's  services  in  com- 
manding the  ship,  and  the  profits  to  be  shared  equally. 
This  course  would  have  been  legally  justifiable,  and  in 
accordance  with  common  custom,  and  there  was  no 
doubt  would  lead  directly  to  fortune.  But  the  proposal 
was  at  once  declined,  and  solely  from  the  sense  of  moral 
obligation  to  those  who  had  suffered  loss  of  property 
which  was  undei  his  care,  and  the  feeling  that  if  the 
ship  could  be  advantageously  employed  it  should  be  for 
their  account. 

The  first  great  diflSculty  was  to  find  seamen.  The 
original  crew  of  the  Beaver  was  long  since  dispersed, 
and  many  of  them  had  entered  the  Chilian  service. 
Captain  Biddle,  who  had  exhibited  a  very  warm  and 
friendly  interest  throughout  his  connection  with  the  af- 
fair, rendered  finally  a  most  important  service  by  grant- 
ing permission  to  one  of  his  midshipmen  to  take  the  po- 
sition of  first  mate.  This  was  Mr.  Alexander  B.  Pink- 
ham,  a  most  active,  efficient,  and  intelligent  officer.  His 
services  proved  of  very  great  value  on  more  than  one 
trying  occasion,  and  he  remained  to  the  day  of  his  death 


LETTER  FROM  LIEUT.  PINKHAM. 


19V 


BO  warm  and  true  a  friend  of  my  father's  that  I  am 
tempted  to  pay  a  tribute  to  his  memory  by  quoting  a 
portion  of  a  letter  which  my  father  received  from  him, 
in  acknowledgment  of  a  copy  of  his  published  narra- 
tive, more  than  twenty  years  after  these  occurrences. 

The  tone  in  which  ho  alludes  to  them  is  no  less  hon- 
orable to  himself,  in  the  evidence  of  character  it  affords, 
than  complimentary  to  the  one  he  addresses : 

Portsmouth,  Va.,  May  29, 1842. 
•*  R.  J.  Cleveland,  Esq. : 

*'My  Dear  Sir,— The  author  of  "Gil  Bias"  shrewdly  reflected 
that  his  book  would  be  read  by  two  classes  of  persons,  whom  he  in- 
geniously described  in  the  prefatory  talc  of  the  two  students. 

"  I  think  I  may  make  three  classes  of  your  readers.  The  young 
commercial  adventurer  will  find  it  a  useful  monitor  from  which  ho 
will  learn  how  much  may  be  done  by  pursuing  an  honorable  course 
with  industry  and  perseverance.  To  those  whom  age  or  infirmity 
have  compelled  to  retire  from  the  more  stirring  scenes  of  life  it  will 
be  highly  entertaining,  while  the  fireside  traveller  will  envy  you  the 
happiness  of  having  visited  so  many  different  countries,  and  will 
judge  from  the  easy  and  smooth  manner  in  which  you  have  detailed 
your  adventures  that  their  achievement  must  have  been  less  difiScult 
than  you  pretend,  like  the  reverend  doctors  who  thought  it  strange 
that  the  achievement  of  Columbus  should  be  thought  so  great  a 
matter. 

"It  is  amusing  to  me  to  revert  to  what  my  impressions  were  of 
you  the  first  time  I  saw  you.  To  have  supposed  you  had  ever  met 
with  any  adventures,  either  by  sea  or  land, would  have  been  farthest 
from  my  thoughts.  That  you  might  have  led  a  life  of  industry  and 
application  to  business  was  probable  enough,  and  that  you  were 
familiar  with  accounts  and  business  forms.  I  was  not  undeceived 
for  several  months,  but  when  the  time  came  for  active  exertions,  our 
first  movement  (upon  the  attack  of  the  Chilian  fleet),  and  subsequent- 
ly on  our  voyage  to  Pisco,  and  during  our  short  stay  there,  showed 
me  that  I  had  mistaken  my  man. 

"  The  year  that  I  served  in  the  Beaver  was  full  of  the  most  pleas- 


198 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


ing  excitement.  The  pecuniary  prospects  of  the  voyages,  the  gen- 
tlemanly treatment  I  received  from  you,  the  elegant  and  comfort- 
able ship,  the  handsome  style  in  which  we  lived,  the  liberal  provision 
you  made  for  everything  as  far  as  elegancies,  comforts,  and  conven- 
iences were  procurable;  your  excellent  discipline  with  regard  to  of- 
ficers and  men,  accompanied  with  the  most  magnanimous  generosity 
to  all,  your  resolution  and  firmness  under  danger,  whether  from  with- 
out or  from  internal  commotion,  inspired  such  an  attachment  for 
you  as  I  have  never  felt  for  any  other  commander." 


m- 
rt- 
on 
m- 
of- 

ity 

th- 
for 


CHAPTER  XII. 

1819,  1820. 

Operations  on  the  Coast  of  Peru.— Proclamation  of  Blockade, "which 
he  Sets  at  Defiance  with  Entire  Success.— Satisfaction  of  tlio 
Viceroy. — Sails  for  Rio  Janeiro. 

At  length,  by  permission  of  tlio  viceroy,  a  crew  was 
made  up  of  captives  who  had  been  taken  from  Chilian 
ships  and  imprisoned  at  Callao.  These  prisoners  were 
of  all  nations,  but  principally  English  and  Americans. 
No  sooner  did  they  learn  that  my  father  had  an  order 
for  the  release  of  fifteen  of  their  number  than  the  anx- 
iety of  every  one  to  be  included  among  the  fortunate 
ones  was  so  great  as  to  make  the  task  of  selection  very 
painful,  and,  at  the  risk  of  not  getting  the  best  men, 
he  finally  deputed  the  duty  to  the  jailor.  On  the  28th  of 
February  an  exciting  occurrence  took  place  in  the  har- 
bor, which  afforded  evidence  of  the  danger  he  incurred, 
from  the  shipment  of  such  a  crew. 

The  viceroy  had  selected  this  day  for  his  annual  visit 
to  the  fleet  and  line  of  defence.  As  is  often  the  case  at 
that  season,  a  dense  fog  prevailed,  and  while  the  viceroy 
was  making  the  circuit  of  the  bay  on  board  the  brig 
Maijpo,  the  mist  lifted  for  a  few  moments  and  revealed 
the  presence  of  two  Chilian  ships  of  war,  which  had 
quietly  made  their  way  in,  and  were  within  half  cannon- 
shot  of  the  castle,  and  in  close  proximity  to  the  Maipo, 


200 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCII  \  TT  NAVIGATOR. 


wlioGO  rotroat  was  near  beino;  cut  off.  A  lively  cannon- 
ado  was  at  onco  opened  by  both  parties,  and  a  few  min- 
utes later,  when  the  fog  again  closed  down,  it  became 
evident  that  they  were  firing  at  random,  as  several  shot 
passed  between  the  masts  of  the  Beaver^  and  were  strik- 
ing the  water  both  insido  and  out  of  where  she  lay. 
Fearing  that  the  ship  might  sustain  injury,  the  cables 
were  slipped  and  all  sail  made  to  get  out  of  the  way. 
A  few  minutes  later  they  found  themselves  close  along- 
side another  Chilian  ship  of  sixty-four  guns,  and  as 
friend  could  not  be  distinguished  from  foe  in  the  dense 
fog,  they  came  near  having  a  whole  broadside  poured 
into  them.  Every  man  was  at  his  station  with  lighted 
matches,  and  only  waiting  the  order  to  fire,  when  the 
mistake  was  discovered.  While  speaking  her,  five  of 
his  men  jumped  overboard  and  were  picked  up  by  a 
boat  from  the  ship  of  war. 

No  result  of  any  importance  was  achieved  by  this  at- 
tack. After  exchanging  shots  for  half  an  hour,  the 
Chilian  ships  withdrew  without  capturing  a  single  Span- 
ish vessel,  and  came  to  anchor  near  the  island  of  San 
Lorenzo.  The  Beaver  returned  to  her  anchorage,  but 
the  men  manifested  a  mutinous  spirit  and  showed  so 
plainly  their  wish  to  desert  to  their  countrymen  that  it 
became  evident  that  vigorous  measures  of  prevention 
must  be  adopted.  The  boats  w^ere,  therefore,  securely 
fastened,  the  officers  armed  themselves,  and  the  men 
were  told  that  instant  death  would  be  the  portion  of 
any  one  who  attempted  to  desert. 

Meantime  the  commander  of  the  Chilian  navy,  Lord 
Cochrane  (a  nephew  of  Sir  Hugh  Cochrane,  who  sent 


^jtm. 


DEFIES  TBE  BLOOCADE. 


201 


my  father  into  Tortola)  had  issued  a  proclamation  of 
blockade  of  the  whole  coast  of  Peru  from  its  southern 
extremity  to  Guayaquil.  The  utter  incompetency  of 
the  Cliilian  navy  to  enforce  a  legal  blockade  of  even  an 
eighth  part  of  this  great  extent  of  coast  rendered  it  ob- 
vious that  the  proclamation  was  only  intended  as  an 
apology  for  the  robbery  of  neutrals.  As  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  had  declared  and  maintained 
its  disregard  of  the  paper  blockades  of  England  and 
France,  there  was  no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  same 
principle  would  apply  to  this  case,  and  my  father  deter- 
mined to  set  it.  at  defiance,  trusting  to  being  sustained 
by  his  government,  and  feeling  confident  also  that  Chili 
w^ould  be  very  cautious  of  committiiig  any  outrage  at 
the  risk  of  offending  her  best  friend.  This  decision  was 
in  opposition  to  that  of  all  the  other  neutral  agents,  and 
the  Beaver  was  the  only  one  of  the  twelve  neutral  ves- 
sels then  lying  in  the  port  of  Callao  whose  destination 
was  not  defeated  and  prospects  ruined  by  this  proclama- 
tion. 

I  quote  the  following  from  my  father's  published  ac- 
count : 


'  i  (1 


"Being  all  prepared  to  sail  on  the  8tli  of  March,  I  went  on  board 
the  O'Higgins  frigate  to  demand  my  men  who  had  deserted,  but 
with  no  expectation  that  they  would  be  restoreu. 

"When  I  made  known  the  object  of  my  visit  to  the  captain,  an 
Englishman  named  Foster,  he  not  only  peremptorily  refused  to  give 
them  up,  but  insolently  expressed  his  regret  that  more  of  them  had 
not  deserted. 

"As  I  was  leaving  his  ship  he  tauntingly  held  up  the  proclama- 
tion of  blockade,  and  bid  me  beware  of  the  consequences.  I  re- 
plied that  I  was  as  well  acquainted  with  my  business  as  he  was  with 
9* 


n-  • 


202 


VOYAGES  OP  A  JiERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


his,  and,  therefore,  the  caution,  or  threat,  was  unnecessary  and  mis- 
placed. 

"  I  next  went  on  board  the  Lautaro  to  see  Captain  Guise,  with 
whom  I  l)ecame  acquainted  at  Valparaiso.  The  friendly  and  polite 
reception  I  met  with  from  this  gentleman  formed  a  striking  con- 
trast to  that  of  Captain  Foster,  and  presented  a  remarkable  instance 
of  the  different  conduct  under  the  same  circumstances  of  officers 
of  the  same  grade,  one  of  whom  had  been  reared  and  educatea  in 
polished  society,  and  the  other  among  the  low  and  vulgar. 

"  Ca;^*ain  Guise  expressed  regret  that  their  present  want  of  men 
was  such  that  no  influence  he  could  use  with  Lord  Cochrane  would 
be  of  any  avail. 

"  In  speaking  of  the  proclamation  of  blockade,  I  did  not  fail  to 
express  my  opinion  that  the  United  States  would  support  me  in  not 
consideriDg  thoac  ports  blockaded  before  which  there  was  no  naval 
force,  and  that  I  had  determined  to  act  in  conformity  with  that 
opinion,  which  he  seemed  to  consJd  *  a  correct  one. 

"On  returning  to  the  Beaver  without  the  men,  I  perceived  a  gen- 
eral manifestation  of  c?nlike  among  the  crew  to  go  to  sea  with  so 
many  short  of  our  com  bment;  but  there  was  no  possibility  of  pro- 
curing others,  and  delay  would  be  more  likely  to  change  the  aspect 
of  affairs  for  the  worse  than  the  better.  I  therefore  called  all  hands 
aft;  represented  to  them  the  easy  and  short  voyage  we  had  to  per- 
form; that  the  numbers  now  on  board  were  an  ample  complement 
for  any  voyage  on  this  coast;  that  I  had  engaged  an  extra  number 
originally  in  order  to  make  the  greater  despatch  in  lading  the  ship, 
but  that,  nevertheless,  if  they  would  go  to  work  cheerfully,  I  would 
engage  to  divide  among  them  the  wages  of  the  five  men  who  had 
deserted,  until  I  could  ship  others  in  their  stead.  This  had  the  de- 
sired effect.  They  went  with  alacrity  to  the  windlass,  hove  up  t'o 
anchor,  made  sail,  and  ut  4  p.m.  I  was  once  again  on  the  broad  ocean 
in  uncontrolled  command  of  the  Beaver. 

"More  than  two  years  had  elapsed  since  the  seizure  of  the  ship 
at  Talcahuana,  and  during  that  time  I  had  experienced  nothing  but 
a  continued  series  of  vexations,  altercations,  and  the  most  prolonged 
and  aggravating  state  cf  suspense.  The  freedom  from  thraldom, 
therefore,  which  I  now  expciienceu,  was  at  first  difficult  to  believe, 
and  many  days  passed  before  I  possessed  an  entire  consciousness  of 
having  regained  the  power  of  independent  action." 


T 


MUTINY. 


203 


On  the  fourth  day  they  arrived  at  Pisco,  where  the 
governor,  after  examining  the  viceroy's  licensCj  gave 
him  an  hospitable  reception.    Here  they  were  to  take  on 
board  a  quantity  of  brandy,  which  was  a  slow  and  diffi- 
cult undertaking,  as  it  was  contained  in  jars  of  twenty 
gallons  and  was  sent  off  in  launches  and  had  to  be  hoist- 
ed over  the  ship's  sides  in  an  open  roadstead  at  the  in.- 
minent  risk  of  breaking,  from  the  rolling  of  the  ship. 
The  knowledge  possessed  by  the  crew  of  the  unusual 
value  of  every  man,  owing  to  their  feeble  number,  and 
the  impossibility  of  supplying  the  loss  should  any  one 
desert,  led  them  to  presume  upon  attempting  a  measure 
which  would  have  subverted  all  discipline  and  endan- 
gered the  safety  of  ship  and  cargo.    This  was  the 
bringing  on  board  a  jar  of  brandy  to  be  held  in  their 
own  possession.    My  father  was  on  shore  at  the  time, 
but  Mr.  Pinkham,  seeing  the  man  with  it,  very  judicious- 
ly tried  to  persuade  him  to  give  it  up,  promising  it 
should  be  dealt  out  to  them  in  proper  rations.     This 
they  would  not  submit  to,  and  swore  they  would  do  as 
they  pleased  with  their  own  liquor.     Perceiving  remon- 
strance to   be  in   vain,  Mr.  Pinkham   very  properly 
knocked  the  jar  out  of  the  fellow's  hands,  wliich  broke 
it  and  spilled  all  the  brandy. 

"The  Tnost  abusive  language  then  followed  and  the  mutiny  be- 
came general.  In  the  evening  I  received  a  note  by  one  of  the  shore 
boats,  detailing  these  transactions  and  the  continued  insubordination 
of  the  crew.  It  was  too  late  to  go  on  board  that  evening,  and  I  had 
consequently  time  to  resolve  in  my  mind  the  most  prudent  and 
judicious  mode  of  proceeding.  I  was  offered  a  file  of  soldiers,  to 
take  as  many  of  the  me",  on  shore  as  I  chose  and  have  them  whipped; 
but  though  this  could  easily  be  done,  it  would  only  tend  to  increase 


il 


wamm 


' 


204 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


the  difficulty  when  we  should  be  beyond  the  reach  of  such  aid.  It 
wa8  obvious  that,  to  secure  any  further  services  from  these  men,  they 
must  be  8ul)dued  by  the  efforts  of  myself  and  officers  alone,  and  cost 
what  it  might,  I  determined  to  try  the  issue,  and  convince  them  that 
there  could  be  but  one  master  to  the  Beaver.  Accordingly,  on  going 
on  board  and  finding  my  officers  ready  to  second  me  (all  work  on 
board  continuini^f  to  be  suspended),  we  determined  that  seizing  up 
the  ringleader  to  the  shrouds  and  giving  him  a  good  whipping  be- 
fore the  whole  crew  would  be  the  readiest  and  best  way  of  settling 
the  difficulty.  But  if  the  men  made  the  resistance  that  was  appre- 
hended, the  attempt  might  be  attended  with  serious  consequences. 

"Having  loaded  our  pistols  and  prepared  the  requisite  seizings,  I 
called  the  ringleader,  by  name,  to  come  aft,  which  he  readily  obeyed, 
no  doubt  with  the  expectation  of  being  supported  by  his  comrades.  I 
asked  him  how  he  had  dared  to  speak  to  the  officer  of  the  ship  in  the 
insolent  nianner  he  had  done ?  He  replied  that  the  officer  had  broken 
his  jar  of  brandy,  and  he'd  be  damned  if  he  or  any  one  else  should 
do  any  more  work  until  it  was  made  up  to  him.  I  then  turned  to 
the  mates  and  told  them  to  seize  him  up  to  the  rigging,  whereupon 
the  crew,  who  had  been  watching  us  from  the  forecastle,  began  mov, 
ing  aft  in  a  body.  I,  therefore,  immediately  took  a  pistol  in  each 
hand,  and  meeting  them  half-way,  leisurely  laid  a  rope  across  the 
deck,  rnd  threatened  with  instant  death  any  man  who  should  dare 
to  crosj  it.  This  had  the  desired  effect.  No  one  had  the  lemerity 
to  try  me.  The  fellow  was  whipped  till  he  begged  for  mercy  and 
promised  never  to  behave  amiss  again;  and,  indeed,  he  was  ever  af- 
ter an  orderly,  good  man.  With  my  pistols  still  in  hand,  1  then 
went  forward  and  peremptorily  ordered  the  men  to  their  duty  on 
pain  of  like  punishment  to  any  one  who  refused.  I  allowed  them 
no  time  for  consultation,  but  calling  them  by  name,  ordered  them 
immediately  on  various  parts  of  ship's  duty.  Not  one  of  them 
saw  fit  even  to  hesitate,  and  they  were  ever  after  as  orderly  a  crew 
OS  I  coul'"  desire. 

"  Having  now  passed  a  week  at  Pisco,  and  taken  on  board  six  hun- 
dred jars  of  brandy  and  wine,  we  sailed  for  Quanchaca,  and  thus 
demonstrated  that  this  part  of  the  coast  was  noi  in  a  state  of  block- 
ade in  the  true  and  legitimate  acceptance  of  that  term." 


' 


RETURN  TO  CALLAO. 


205 


At  Guanolmca  the  question  was  put  at  final  rest  by 
an  actual  meeting  with  a  Chilian  brig  of  war,  which  sent 
a  boat  on  board  with  a  request  that  the  captain  of  the 
Beaver  would  come  on  board  with  his  papers. 

After  half  an  hour's  conversation  with  Captain  Spry 
(with  whom  lie  had  become  acquainted  at  Valparaiso), 
my  father  convinced  him  that  it  would  be  very  unwise 
to  molest  him.  He,  therefore,  endorsed  his  register, 
and  sent  him  back  to  his  ship  with  friendly  wishes. 
From  Guanchaca  he  proceeded  to  Malabrigo  and  thence 
to  Pacasmayo,  finding  the  merchants  at  every  port  anx- 
ious to  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  freight 
goods  to  Callao.  On  the  19th  of  May,  having  taken  on 
board  a  cargo  exceeding  thirteen  thousand  quintals, 
which  brought  the  ship's  chainwales  almost  even  with 
the  water,  he  sailed  for  Callao.  Being  anxious  to  learn 
the  state  of  affairs  before  venturing  too  near,  he  looked 
in  at  Guacho,  and,  seeing  an  English  brig  lying  there, 
sent  a  boat  to  obtain  information,  which  returned  with 
intelligence  that  the  Chilian  squadron  had  left  the  bay 
nearly  a  month  previous,  and  there  was  no  impediment 
to  entering. 

The  arrival  at  Callao  of  so  largo  a  cargo  of  wheat  and 
rice  was  an  auspicious  event  for  the  people  of  Lima. 
Precisely  three  months  had  elapsed  since  his  departure, 
and,  by  the  successful  accomplishment  of  the  voyage,  the 
fact  was  demonstrated  that  there  was  no  cause  to  appre- 
hend that  the  supply  of  breadstuffs  would  be  cut  off  by 
a  Chilian  blockade.  The  earnings  of  the  ship  during 
this  period  exceeded  $20,000,  payable  immediately  on 
landing  the  cargo.     The  viceroy  appeared  now,  for  the 


206 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


I 


first  time,  to  appreciate  the  great  advantage  derivable 
from  neutral  commerce.  He  gave  my  father  a  most 
cordial  and  flattering  reception,  complimented  him  upon 
the  bojdness  manifested  in  disregarding  Lord  Cochrane's 
proclamation  of  blockade,  and  declared  his  readiness  to 
give  him  a  license  to  go  to  any  part  of  the  coast  he 
pleased. 

After  so  many  years  of  adversity  the  turning-point 
seemed  at  last  to  have  been  reached,  and  surely  if  ever 
success  was  vsron  by  bull-dog  tenaoity  of  purpose  and  un- 
flinching courage,  both  moral  and  physical,  it  was  so  in 
his  case. 

It  is  deliciously  refreshing  to  read  a  letter  from  him 
•which  forms  such  a  contrast  to  the  gloomy  tone  which 
had  so  long  pervaded  his  correspondence  as  the  fol- 
lowing : 

*=•  "Lima,  J'wi^  22, 1819. 

"At  length,  my  dear  wife,  I  have  the  delight  of  conveying  to  you 
the  cheering  intelligence  that  my  affairs  are  prospering  even  beyond 
my  expectations.  The  ebb,  which  has  been  setting  so  many  years 
and  so  strong  against  me,  seemed  to  have  descended  to  its  lowest 
point  about  this  time  last  year,  since  which  there  has  been  a  gradual 
flood,  till  my  arrival  from  my  voyage  coastwise,  when  the  number 
of  favorable  events  which  have  been  crowded  into  a  small  space 
leads  me  to  be  apprehensive  that  fortune  really  intends  to  yield  to 
him  who  has  courted  her  so  long. 

"Of  the  number  of  neutral  vessels  lying  here  at  the  time  Lord 
Cochrane's  proclamation  was  issued,  mine  is  the  only  one  which  has 
dared  bid  defiance  to  it  in  pursuing  the  plan  I  had  marked  out  be- 
fore it  was  issued.  I  have  accomplished  it  successfully,  and  by  the 
great  rise  in  the  price  of  wheat  shall  realize  an  advantage  for  myself 
of  about  $10,000. 

"I  had  no  expectation  that  my  adventure  to  Valparaiso  would 
yield  more  than  sufficient  to  pay  my  debts  there;  but,  by  very  di- 
rect information.  I  have  scarce  a  doubt  it  has  yielded  a  profit  of 


AT  LENGTH  FORTUKE  SMILES. 


207 


$8000  or  $10,000.  I  had  $5000  specie' on  board  the  Macedonian, 
bound  for  China,  at  the  time  that  all  the  money  destined  for  that 
vessel  was  seized  by  Lord  Cochrane.  I  expected  mine  had  gone  in 
the  general  sweep,  but  find  that  the  evidence  given  of  it  being  mine 
was  so  satisfactory  that  they  declined  taking  it. 

"  These  items,  added  to  other  operations  of  minor  magnitude,  give 
me  a  property  of  about  $40,000,  acquired  since  my  first  arrival  in 
Lima.  Add  to  this  the  most  flattering  reception  from  the  viceroy, 
and  assurance  that  he  would  grant  me  permission  to  go  to  any  part 
of  the  coast  I  pleased— a  permission  which,  from  the  little  competi- 
tion, must  soon  enable  me  to  lade  the  ship  with  the  produce  of  the 
country,  and  which,  taken  to  Europe  or  the  United  States,  will  bo 
equal  to  replacing  the  original  capital,  with  the  addition  of  premium 
and  interest.  I  know  not  with  whom  I  shall  have  to  account  for 
the  voyage  on  my  arrival,  as  Mr.  Astor  has  abandoned  to  the  under- 
writers; but,  even  if  I  should  again  be  unfortunate,  if  they  possess 
any  generous  feelings  they  cannot  fail  to  acknowledge  that  there 
has  been  no  want  of  perseverance  and  industry  on  my  part.  While 
I  was  on  my  passage  from  Pacasmayo  to  this  port  the  frigate  Mace- 
donian had  been  here,  and  proceeded  down  the  coast  in  search  of 
me.  We  missed  each  other,  and  this  I  regret  exceedingly,  not  so 
much  from  the  expectation  of  any  advantage  her  presence  here 
would  have  produced,  as  from  having  failed  in  receiving  those  let- 
ters from  home  which  the  notoriety  of  her  destination,  not  less  than 
the  port  from  whence  she  sailed,  induces  the  belief  were  on  board. 

"During  my  various  peregrinations  I  have  never  at  any  time 
been  so  long  without  hearing  from  you.  I  am  glad  this  is  not  the 
case  with  you,  as  the  frequent  opportunities  by  which  I  have  writ- 
ten must  present  you  a  letter  every  two  or  three  months. 

"With  a  view  of  realizing  some  property  without  delay,  not  less 
than  the  hope  of  affording  you  the  means  of  gratifying  every  wish 
to  be  compassed  by  money,  I  have  made  arrangements  for  a  large 
sum  at  Valparaiso,  in  addition  to  the  profits  on  my  adventure  there, 
amounting  together  to  between  $30,000  and  $40,000.  This  property 
I  have  ordered  remitted  either  to  Stephen  Williams,  of  London,  or 
to  Samuel  G.  Perkins  &  Co.,  of  Boston,  whichever  can  be  done 
most  advantageously,  to  be  held  subject  to  the  control  of  William 
or  George  Cleveland.    I  now  write  George  on  the  subject ;  and,  af- 


208 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR 


ter  he  has  paid  sums  to  the  amount  of  about  $18,000, 1  desired  him 
to  place  the  remainder  at  your  disposal.  You  will  therefore,  my 
dear  wife,  probably  have  the  control  of  about  $25,000.  With  the 
whole  of  this  money,  believe  me,  you  can  do  nothing  that  can  dis- 
please me.  If  W.,  or  G.,  or  M.,  or  H,,  or  S.  want  it,  give  it,  or  any 
portion  of  it,  to  them  if  you  think  proper.  If  you  choose  to  spend 
it  in  the  embellishment  of  the  estate,  do  so.  Indeed,  my  dear,  if  you 
should  throw  it  away,  only  let  me  know  the  doing  so  has  afforded 
you  pleasure,  and  I  will  approve  of  the  act.  I  have  no  other  wish 
■  than  to  express  to  you  in  intelligible  terms  that  property  is  only  val- 
uable to  me  in  proportion  as  it  contributes  to  your  happiness. 

"I  shall  sail  again  to-morrow  for  Pisco,  there  to  lade  with  brandy 
for  the  port  I  was  at  last,  and  touching  here  on  my  way  down,  then 
to  return  with  a  cargo  of  wheat  and  rice.  I  hope  to  perform  this 
voyage  in  less  than  three  months,  and  with  a  profit  of  $40,000  for 
the  ship  and  $10,000  for  myself. 

"I  hope  to  meet  you  before  the  expiration  of  the  year  1820,  but 
whether  I  shall  return  by  way  of  China  or  from  hence  to  Europe 
and  the  United  States,  is  a  matter  of  great  uncertainty. 

' '  I  could  almost  immediately  return  with  a  decent  competency, 
and  with  a  prospect  of  giving  satisfaction  to  the  owners  of  the  ship; 
but  at  the  present  moment  everything  concurs  to  give  me  almost  the 
monopoly  of  the  trade  of  this  coast — to  present  so  brilliant  a  pros- 
pect that  not  to  take  advantage  of  it,  to  give  over  the  chase  when 
fortune  is  so  near  within  my  grasp,  would  be  an  evidence  of  imbe- 
cility so  glaring,  a  want  of  enterprise  so  inconsistent  with  my  char- 
acter, that  I  am  confident,  although  the  object  should  be  alone  that 
of  meeting  you,  you  could  not  fail  to  experience  mortification 
from  it. 

"  I  am  now  on  the  point  of  sailing,  and,  from  the  careless  manner 
in  which  this  letter  is  written,  you  will  perceive  I  am  hurried.  In- 
deed, to  perform  the  duties  of  master  and  supercargo  of  such  a  ship 
as  the  Beaver,  without  even  a  clerk,  requires  great  industry  on  a 
common  voyage,  but  much  more  when  the  property  is  turned  so 
often.  My  various  speculations  on  my  private  account  have  given 
mo  so  much  more  property  than  I  can  employ  in  my  privilege  in 
the  ship  that  for  some  time  I  have  had  a  considerable  sum  lying  by. 
If  I  had  had  any  intelligent,  trusty  young  man  with  me  I  could  have 


t !  ;  ■ 


A  COASTING  VOYAGE. 


200 


put  him  in  the  way  of  makiiig  his  fortune  and  adding  greatly  to 
mine. 

"I  fully  intended  to  have  -written  to  the  denr  boys,  hut,  having 
neglected  to  do  it  till  there  is  no  longer  time,  I  will  prepare  a  letter 
for  them,  and  lilcewisc  complete  for  you  the  narrative  of  the  mar-r 
vellous  adventures  of  R.  J.  C,  already  begun,  and  send  them  both 
oy  the  first  good  opportunity. 

"Of  the  political  state  of  this  country,  it  differs  very  little  from 
what  it  was  at  this  time  last  year.  The  republicans  have  the  as- 
cendency at  sea,  but.,  as  their  opponents  have  laid  by  all  their  ship- 
ping, there  is  no  chance  of  making  prizes;  consequently  the  main- 
tenance of  their  ships  must  come  from  themselves,  and  their  resources 
are  not  competent  to  it  for  any  length  of  time.  How  the  business 
will  end  time  only  can  determine,  but  the  method  taken  by  the  Eng- 
lish commanders  of  the  Chilian  ships  to  make  converts  to  republi- 
canism, that  of  first  stripping  them  of  their  property,  seems  to  have 
produced  a  contrary  effect.  A  want  of  activity,  a  want  of  enter- 
prise, a  sluggishness  in  forming  plans  and  an  eternity  in  executing 
them,  prove  that  these  people  are  the  legitimate  descendants  of  those 
of  whom,  more  than  two  centuries  past,  the  other  Europeans  used 
to  say,  •  Let  death  come  from  Spain,'  implying  thereby  that  it  would 
be  so  long  in  coming  that  nothing  need  be  apprehended  from  it. 

"Adieu,  my  dear  wife.  May  death  neither  come  from  Spain  nor 
any  other  quarter  tlii  we  have  had  one  more  embrace.  My  love  to 
the  bcya  and  all  the  family. 

"Yours,  as  ever,  most  affectionately,  Richard." 


His  next  operation  was  to  charter  the  ship  for  a 
four-months'  voyage  on  the  coast,  at  $10,000  per  montli. 
This  voyage — to  Hiiaseo  and  Pacasmayo,  and  thence  to 
Valparaiso  and  back  to  Callao — was  successfully  per- 
formed, although  he  was  brought  to  on  the  way  to  Yal- 
paraiso  by  a  Chilian  64-gun  ship,  bearing  the  flag  of 
Admiral  Blanco,  who,  on  being  satisfied  that  the  ship 
had  been  chartered  and  laden  on  English  account,  al- 
lowed him  to  go  on  without  molestation. 


ill 


ill 


III! 


210 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


Tlie  following  letter  from  Valparaiso  evinces  that  he 
appreciated  the  importance  of  taking  the  tide  in  his  af- 
fairs at  the  flood,  and  was  making  the  most  of  his  op- 
portunities : 

•'  Valparaiso,  January  19, 1820. 

"I  shall  sail  from  here  to-morrow  for  Gallao  with  a  full  cargo  of 
wheat  for  account  of  the  charterer  of  the  ship.  After  unlading  my 
ship  and  settling  my  affairs  it  is  most  probable  I  shall  proceed  to 
Guayaquil,  and  lade  the  ship  with  cocoa  for  Europe  or  the  United 
States,  and  determine  which  at  Kio  Janeiro,  where  I  shall  stop  on 
my  way.  While  fortune  seems  propitious  I  am  giving  her  such  an 
opportunity  of  evincing  her  favors  as  appears  to  astonish  the  na- 
tives. In  addition  to  attending  to  the  duties  of  my  own  ship  I  have 
purchased  the  ship  Ocean,  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  tons,  and 
despatched  her  with  a  cargo  of  wheat  for  Callao;  one  half  of  the 
fine  ship  Zephyr,  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  tons,  and  have  char- 
tered the  Swedish  ship  Droitingen,  of  five  hundred  tons,  all  loaded 
with  wheat  for  my  private  account.  My  expectation  of  emolument 
is  not  so  much  from  profit  on  the  wheat  as  from  the  advantageous 
employment  of  the  ships;  and  should  the  demand  for  them  at  Lima 
be  equal  to  what  it  was  when  I  left  there,  I  shall  realize  a  handsome 
fortune.  Indeed,  if  I  were  as  sanguine  as  I  was  in  my  younger  days, 
I  should  say  it  was  certain;  but,  alas!  I  have  been  too  severely 
taught  the  uncertainty  of  everything  mundane  not  to  be  prepared 
for  disappointment.  .  .  . 

"The  Chilian  navy  is  now  entirely  commanded  and  officered  by 
English  adventurers,  men  of  desperate  fortunes,  who,  tmder  the 
mask  of  giving  freedom  to  this  country,  are  in  pursuit  of  their  own 
fortunes,  and  regardless  of  means  of  their  attainment.  If  it  were 
not  that  we  have  a  frigate  in  this  neighborhood,  no  American  vessel 
could  navigate  here  with  safety." 

On  his  return  to  Callao,  having  successfully  accom- 
plished the  object  for  which  the  ship  was  chartered,  ho 
found  he  had  the  control  of  so  large  an  amount  of 
property  for  account  of  the  owners  of  the  Beaver^  be- 
sides the  handsome  fortune  he  had  accumulated  for 


•if ' 
ii 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  RETURNING  HOME. 


211 


himself,  that  he  felt  justilied  in  making  immediate  prep- 
arations for  returning  home.  Indeed,  the  condition  of 
the  ship  indicated  but  too  clearly  that  she  would,  ere 
long,  be  incapable  of  making  the  passage.  He  therefore 
contracted  for  a  cargo  of  cocoa,  to  be  taken  on  board  at 
Guayaquil,  and  busied  himself  with  settling  his  affairs 
and  making  arrangements  for  the  employment  of  the 
other  ships  in  his  service. 

On  the  12th  of  March  he  sailed  for  Guayaquil,  and 
on  the  10th  of  April  writes  to  his  wife  from  that  place 
as  follows : 

"  Guayaquil,  Api-il  10, 1820. 

"  I  came  to  this  place  with  the  expectation  of  lading  with  cocoa 
for  the  United  States,  for  which  purpose  I  had  contracted  with  a 
merchant  of  Lima,  to  he  delivered  to  me  here,  hut  am  disappointed. 
A  sudden  and  unexpected  demand  has  put  it  out  of  the  power  of 
the  agent  here  to  fulfil  the  contract,  and  with  ahout  two  thirds  of 
a  cargo  I  am  on  the  point  of  returning  to  Callao,  in  hopes  of  making 
up  the  remainder  there.  If  I  succeed  I  may  be  with  you  as  soon  as 
you  receive  this;  but  whether  I  am  or  not,  I  ought  to  make  you  ac- 
quainted with  the  state  of  my  affairs. 

"  The  ship  Drottingen,  by  which  I  send  this  na  Europe,  is  loaded 
with  cocoa,  entirely  on  my  account— a  cargo  which  cost  upwards  of 
$80,000 — of  which  I  risk  only  one  half,  the  other  half  being  on  re- 
spondentia. Her  supercargo,  Mr.  Coit,  will  forward  this  to  you  from 
Europe. 

"I  am  proprietor  of  one  half  the  fine  ship  Zephyr,  of  Providence, 
for  which  I  gave  $15,000.  This  ship  is  now  engaged  in  a  profitable 
freighting  business  on  the  coast  of  Peru.  The  proceeds  of  these 
freights  will  be  deposited  in  safe  hands  in  Lima,  so  that  there  will 
be  nothing  but  the  ship  at  risk  till  the  closing  of  the  voyage  via 
China,  Europe,  or  the  United  States. 

"I  am  likewise  owner  of  one  half  the  ship  Ocean,  of  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  tons,  which  cost  me  $7500.  This  ship  had  a 
freight  of  $16,000,  engaged  from  hence  to  Callao,  but  the  governor 


S  |1 


212 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


liero  has  thought  proper  to  thi*ow  obstacles  in  the  way  of  her  pro- 
ceeding, and  she  must  therefore  remain  hero  till  I  can  get  an  order 
from  the  viceroy  for  her  release.  She  will  bo  advantageously  em- 
ployed in  freighting  on  this  coast,  and  is  commanded  by  my  former 
mate,  Mr.  Pinkham. 

"I  have  likewise  an  interest  of  $15,000  in  the  voyage  of  the  brig 
Macedonian,  Captain  E.  Smith,  to  China  and  back  to  Callao.  As 
this  cargo  will  be  introduced  into  Lima  on  very  favorable  terms,  tho 
prospect  is  very  flattering.  Bh  is  expected  back  in  three  or  four 
months.  In  the  Beaver  I  shall  have  on  boaitl  for  my  own  account 
about  eight  tons  of  cocoa  and  eight  or  ten  thousand  dollars  in  specie. 

"  Thus,  my  dear  wife,  you  will  perceive  that  if  I  have  done  well 
for  my  owners  I  have  not  done  less  for  myself,  and  if  I  arrive  safe 
it  may  fairly  be  presumed  there  will  be  no  necessity  for  navigating 
more.  May  the  joyful  day  of  our  meeting  soon  arrive,  when  there 
will  be  no  alloy  of  anticipated  separation." 

Eeturning  to  Callao,  it  was  found  necessary  to  dis- 
charge part  of  the  cargo,  in  order  to  recalk  the  ship 
before  proceeding  to  sea.  This  being  accomplished, 
and  tho  ship  ready  for  sea,  he  sailed  for  Eio  Janeiro 
on  the  evening  of  March  11, 1820. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

18^0. 

Recapitulation  of  the  Occurrences  of  Three  Years. — Letter  from  the 
Underwriters,  and  His  Reply.— Home  Again. — Disgraceful  Con- 
'     duct  of  the  National  Insurance  Company. 

Three  years  had  now  elapsed  since  his  departnr-  from 
New  York,  and  in  all  that  time  he  had  received  no  tid- 
ings from  his  family.  A  packet  of  letters  had  been  sent 
to  him  by  the  frigate  Macedonian^  but  the  chaplain  who 
liad  it  in  charge  had  died  on  the  passage,  the  package 
was  not  left  at  any  port  where  he  might  have  found  it, 
and  as  the  frigate  failed  to  fall  in  with  him  the  letters 
only  reached  him  several  months  after  his  return  home. 

A  recapitulation  of  the  leading  events  in  his  experi- 
ence since  the  seizure  of  his  ship  may  here  be  appropri- 
ately introduced. 

After  all  the  property  intrusted  to  his  charge  had 
been  taken  from  him  and  ho  had  suffered  all  the  an- 
guish incident  to  such  a  situation,  aggravated  by  the 
efforts  of  his  captors  to  make  his  situation  so  uncom- 
fortable as  to  force  him  to  abandon  the  attempt  to  re- 
cover it,  he  had  finally  succeeded  by  persistent  effort  in 
recovering  the  ship  and  a  remnant  of  the  cargo.  Within 
a  twelvemonth  of  the  time  of  her  restoration  he  had 
employed  her  so  advantageously  as  to  have  paid  all  the 
expenses  of  repairing,  revictualling,  and  remanning  her, 


su 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


and  had  shipped  on  board  of  her  a  cargo  of  cocoa  for 
New  York,  nearly  or  quite  equal  in  value  to  the  original 
capital,  besides  specie  more  than  enough  to  defray  all  the 
expenses  of  the  ship  up  to  the  time  of  her  arrival  in 
New  York ;  and,  in  addition,  a  clear  and  legitimate  claim 
on  the  Spanish  government  for  the  original  amount  of 
cargo  and  damages.  All  thfb  for  the  sole  account  of  the 
owners  of  the  Beaver. 

For  himself  —  having  before  the  restoration  of  the 
ship  begun  a  speculation  at  Valparaiso  which  laid  the 
foundation  of  further  operations — he  had  succeeded  in 
acquiring  such  a  property  as  the  most  successful  accom- 
plishment of  his  original  plans  would  not  have  produced. 

To  have  thus  turned  defeat  and  disaster  into  victory, 
and  the  achievement  of  a  greater  success  than  was  origi- 
nally anticipated  for  the  voyage,  was  surely  a  suflBcient 
cause  for  self-gratulation  and  the  anticipation  of  a  most 
gratifying  reception  from  the  owners,  whoso  interests 
he  had  thus  cai-cifully  guarded. 

It  was,  therefore,  with  no  small  degree  of  surprise 
when,  on  the  point  of  sailing,  that  he  received  from 
the  underwriters  a  peremjptory  order  to  return  immedi- 
ately home  with  the  ship.  They  acknowledged  at  the 
same  time  the  receipt  of  his  letter  of  August  previous, 
informing  them  that  the  ship  was  earning  $10,000  per 
month,  and  as  she  would  hardly  be  worth  that  sum  her- 
self in  New  York,  the  inference  was  unavoidable  that 
they  felt  doubtful  of  his  honesty.  The  revulsion  of 
feeling  excited  by  this  implication  is  manifested  in  the 
following  letter,  which  he  wrote  in  reply,  and  sent  up 
by  the  pilot-boat  on  arriving  in  New  York,  before  going 
on  shore  himself. 


LETTER  TO  THE  UNDERWRITERS. 


215 


"LmA,  Junes,  1820. 
"To  Tim  OvvNERS  OF  THE  Siiip  'Beaveu': 

"  Oentlemen,— When  on  the  point  of  leaving  this  for  New  York  1 
received  {via  Panama)  your  letter  of  January  20,  ultimo,  in  which 
ia  implied  apprehensions  relative  to  your  property  under  my  charge 
which  surprise  and  mortify  mo.  Your  anxiety  to  bring  this  '  long- 
pending  concern  to  a  close,' however  great,  cannot  surpass  mine. 
Indeed,  gentlemen,  if  the  whole  amount  of  property  I  have  acquired 
for  you  was  to  be  the  recompense  of  an  additional  month's  absence 
from  my  family,  to  that  which  I  have  considered  limited  by  duty,  I 
should  hold  such  fortune  too  dearly  purchased  by  such  sacrifice. 

"  From  the  information  I  possessed  of  the  little  value  of  ships  in 
New  York  1  did  not  suppose  the  Beaver  would  sell  for  more  than 
enough  to  defray  the  expense  of  delivering  her  there,  and  concluded 
that  if  1  would  consent  to  risk  the  loss  of  my  time  in  the  business  of 
freighting,  the  owners  of  the  Beaver  could  not  fail  to  consent  to  risk 
a  shin  which  circumstances  rendered  of  so  little  value. 

"  The  pcremptn  y  order  conveyed  in  your  letter  above-named  is 
not  less  evidence  of  erroneous  judgment  on  my  part  than  of  excess- 
ive alarm  for  the  safety  of  the  property  on  yours.  My  various  let- 
ters by  the  China  and  JDrottingen,  from  Guayaquil,  and  by  the  l)/ne, 
from  this  place,  each  enclosing  a  bill  of  lading  of  the  cargo  shipped 
on  board  the  Beaver  for  your  account,  and  bound  for  New  York, 
will  afford  you  convincing  evidence  of  my  having  anticipated  your 
wishes,  or  rather  m'ders,  for  closing  this  long -pending  concern. 
They  will  likewise  show  you  that,  in  the  spttce  of  twelve  months 
from  my  first  sailing  from  Callao,  I  had  created  a  capital  sufficient 
to  lade  the  Beaver  with  a  cargo  whose  value  in  Europe  will  exceed 
$100,000,  besides  defraying  all  the  expenses  of  the  ship  for  the  time. 
In  not  having  accomplished  this  before  your  patience  was  exhausted 
I  hope  forgiveness,  and  expect  it  not  less  from  the  consciousness  of 
having  acted  with  a  view  to  your  approbation  than  of  my  belief  of 
your  acceding  to  the  axiom  that  '  to  err,  is  human :  to  forgive,  di- 
vine.' 

"  I  have  on  board  for  your  account  840,456  pounds  of  cocoa,  be- 
sides which  there  will  be  a  balance  in  your  favor  of  five  or  six  thou- 
sand dollars,  which  I  shall  bring  in  specie. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  gentlemen,  with  all  the  respect  due  from 


■n 


■H 


■■ii 


216 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


one  who  is  subject  to  orders  to  those  from  whom  such  orders  ema- 
nate, Your  most  obedient,"  etc. 

To  appreciate  fully  the  force  of  the  sting  which  had 
elicited  such  a  response  as  the  above  it  is  necessary  to 
bear  in  mind  the  fact  that  the  voyage  from  the  outset 
was  0£  his  own  planning,  and  its  management  had  been 
of  necessity  left  to  his  own  discretion.  After  the  com- 
plete destruction  of  all  the  hopes,  anticipations,  and  in- 
tentions which  had  originally  been  formed  or  indulged 
in  regard  to  its  results  bj'  the  seizure  of  the  ship 
at  Talcahuana,  it  was  still  less  than  before  in  the 
power  of  the  owners  to  give  him  any  directions  or  even 
advice. 

His  subsequent  management  could  not  have  been  con- 
ducted with  greater  zeal,  pertinacity,  or  courage,  had  ho 
been  the  only  one  interested  in  the  retrieval  of  the  prop- 
perty,  and  to  the  persistent  urging  of  his  demand  upon 
the  authorities  at  Talcahuana  and  Lima  the  final  rever- 
sal of  the  decree  and  restoration  of  the  property  was 
dne.  The  ability  and  independence  he  had  exhibited 
throughout  the  whole  course  of  the  affair  afforded  the 
best  possible  evidence  of  the  wisdom  originally  exhibited 
in  intrusting  it  to  him,  and  were  such  as  could  not  have 
been  reasonably  expected,  and  certainly  would  rarely 
have  been  found,  in  one  who  was  nierelj^  acting  under  or- 
ders. It  is  difficult,  therefore,  to  conceive  ^  more  pain- 
ful position,  to  a  sensitive  mart,  than  that  in  which  he 
was  placed  by  receipt  of  such  an  order  at  the  moment 
when  his  heart  was  glowing  with  the  anticipation  of 
the  well-earned  approbation  of  thoee  for  whose  interests 
he  had  labored  so  hard  and  suffered  so  much.     It  must 


11    ; 


LETTER  TO  MR.  ASTOR. 


217 


be  borne  in   mind  that   the   officers   of  the  Nation- 
al Insurance  Company,  to  whom  the  ship  had  been 
abandoned,  were  strangers  to   my  father,  haying  no 
other  than  a  pecuniary  interest  in  the  result  of  tl 
enterprise. 

To  Mr.  Astor  lie  wrote  a  very  long  letter,  accom^ 
panied  with  a  clear  and  exact  account  of  all  his  trans- 
actions, in  which  he  says : 

"I  cannot  believe  that  you  have  at  any  time  entertained  a  doubt 
of  my  ever  being  actuated  in  this  business  by  other  than  the  mosv 
honorable  motives,  but  1  am  aware  that  in  a  voyage  involved  in  so 
much  intricacy  as  "Iiis,  so  much  at  variance  with  the  original  in- 
structions, and  so  peculiarly  marked  by  vicissitude  of  bad  and  good 
fortune  some  elucidation  would  necessarily  be  required  and,  there- 
fore, lest  accident  baould  prevent  a  verbal  explanation,  I  have 
thought  proper  (not  less  for  my  own  satisfaction  than  for  yours)  to 
make  the  following  statement  " 

TJiis  statement  is  a  summary  of  all  that  he  had  accom- 
plished and  a  rendition  of  the  award  of  the  tribunal  of 
r.ppeal  establishing  the  claim  on  the  government  of 
Spain  for  the  "full  amount  of  damage  arising  from  loss 
of  property,  loss  of  time,  and  loss  arising  from  the  de- 
struction of  one  of  the  most  fluttering  enterprises  ever 
undertaken  from  the  United  States. 


"As  our  claim  for  these  losses  amounts  to  $408,766,  as  its  cor- 
rectness is  indisputable,  and,  therefore,  must  be  paid;  as  I  shall  be 
not  less  instrumental  in  the  recovery  of  the  property  by  the  circum- 
stance of  placing  my  opponents  in  the  wrong,  tlian  in  its  augumonta- 
tion  by  placing  it  where  its  value  was  so  much  enhanced,  there  cnn 
exist  no  doubt  of  my  being  entitled  to  the  same  commission  on  the 
amount  recovered  that  I  should  have  received  if  I  had  prosecuted 
the  voyaigc  without  interruption." 

10 


218 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAYIGATOR. 


The  following  letter  to  my  motlier  requires  no  ex- 
planation : 

"Ship  'Beaveb'  (The  Highlands  of  JSIeversink  in  sight), 

"  October,^,  1820. 

'*  My  Dear  Wife, — To-morrow  I  shall  probably  be  in  New  York, 

once  more  in  the  land  of  freedom,  and  I  hope  to  bid  farewell — a 

long  farewell — to  the  toils  of  the  ocean.    In  conformity  with  my 

custom  and  with  that  method  and  consistency  of  which  I  I'now  you 

to  be  an  advocate,  I  prepare  a  letter  to  go  to  the  poRt  >fi\      vjth  the 

ship's  letters,  that  not  a  moment  may  be  lost  in  advi^  ;;^-  jou  of  my 

arrival. 

*  «  «  •  «•  • 

"Our  passage  round  Cape  Horn  was  attended  with  nothing  ex- 
traordinary or  terrific.  The  absence  of  the  sun  rendered  it  extreme- 
ly gloomy,  and  as  we  happened  to  be  there  just  at  the  change  of  the 
mcon  the  nights  were  very  dark  and  tedious.  We  used  to  breakfast 
by  candle-light  at  half-past  eight,  and  to  see  the  sun  set  at  half-past 
three. 

""We,  however,  made  a  very  tolerable  passage  for  a  loaded  ship, 
arriving  at  the  beautiful  port  of  Rio  Janeiro  on  the  14th  of  August, 
More  than  three  years  had  now  elapsed  since  leaving  home,  and  ('aw- 
ing  that  er.tendcd  period  I  had  not  received  a  line  from  my  f  .i' v 
or  from  any  one  who  could  give  mc  any  account  of  them.  My  .  ? : 
step,  therefore,  was  to  call  on  the  American  houses  to  see  if  they  hi/'. 
not  letters  for  me,  but,  alas!  I  found  none  from  my  family,  nor  was 
there  one  among  the  masters  or  consignees  who  could  give  me  any 
account  of  them.  You  will,  therefore,  naturally  imagine,  my  dear, 
that  my  mind  was  filled  with  the  most  gloomy  forebodings,  and  that 
I  accounted  for  not  receiving  letters  by  the  repugnance  arising  from 
conveying  disastrous  intelligence. 

"With  such  discouraging  impressions,  I  was  busily  e\;  ,  red  in 
preparing  to  bend  my  course  to  that  country  where  I  cc?  'iiad  a 
home — the  existence  of  which  now  seemed  extremely  doubtial — 
when,  two  day':^  before  my  departure,  the  Fanny  arrived  from  New 
York  and  brought  me  a  lettei  from  my  dear  wife,  one  from  Lucy, 
and  one  from  George,  all  dated  so  recent]/  as  June — only  about 
seventy  days  before.    As  the  fond  mother  with  distracted  anxiety 


w 


LETTER  TO  HIS  WIFE. 


219 


:cd  in 

'\ad  a 

m  New 
Lucy, 
y  about 
anxiety 


watches  for  the  restoration  of  suspended  animation  in  a  beloved  child, 
and  is  incapable  of  expressing  her  joy  on  the  appearance  of  return- 
ing life,  so  was  the  transition  in  the  mind  of  your  husband,  from  the 
most  deep-toned  anxiety  to  ease,  joy,  and  tranquillity  of  mind,  not 
less  intense  or  less  capable  of  being  expressed. 

"I  shall  meet  you  more  satisfied  with  myself  than  I  have  ever  been 
before.  I  doubt  whether  my  voyage  has  any  parallel  in  the  annals 
of  navigation.  It  presents  not  the  brilliancy  of  victory,  but  it  is  a  re- 
treat which  ought  to  be  equally  creditable  to  the  ability  of  the  com- 
mander. Yet  I  ftm  not  without  apprehensions  that  the  owners  will  con- 
sider my  charges  indicative  of  my  setting  too  high  a  value  upon  my 
services,  and  may  see  fit  to  dispute  them.  It  is  likewise  doubtful  if  they 
are  not  jealous  of  what  I  have  done  for  myself  and  may  wish  to  share 
in  it,  fn  which  case  they  will  discover  that  the  man  who  has  so  per- 
severingly  and  successfully  defended  their  property,  will  not  allow 
any  infringement  on  ?m  own.  I  must  necessarily  be  detained  two  or 
three  days  in  New  York  before  I  can  set  out  for  home,  and  it  is  very 
doubtful  whether  the  owners  will  be  disposed  to  grant  me  any  indul- 
gence, but  may  insist  on  my  remaining  until  the  ship  is  unloaded. 
In  this  case  I  shall  not  shrink  from  the  dictates  of  imperious  duty. 
The  fact  is,  I  have  written  them  two  very  sharp  letters  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  terms  in  which  they  conveyed  to  me  the  orders  for  my 
return,  and  it  is  uncertain  how  they  will  receive  them. 

"I  intend  to  despatch  immediately  one  or  two  ships  for  Lima, 
either  from  New  York,  Providence,  or  Boston.  Perhaps  William 
would  like  to  take  charge  of  an  expedition  to  that  quarter  of  the 
world,  I  suggest  it,  that  he  may  have  time  to  think  of  it.  If  there 
was  a  certainty  that  all  the  property  I  have  afloat  would  be  returned 
in  safety  there  would  be  enough  for  both  of  us,  but  the  embarrass- 
ments we  have  witnessed  should  teach  us  that  we  ought  not  to  al- 
low a  favrorable  opportunity  to  pass  till  we  possess  something  more 
stable  and  permanent. 

"I  am  now  in  imagination  at  Lancaster  with  my  wife,  my  chil- 
dren, brothers,  sisters,  and  friends,  and,  while  seated  at  the  parlor 
window,  alternately  glancing  at  the  group  within  and  the  beautiful 
autumnal  scenery  without,  what  associations,  what  recolleciions  will 
not  be  roused  by  hearing  from  your  piano  the  notes  of  '  Ella  Rosen- 


■■I 


220 


VOYAGES  OP  A.  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


berg,'  'Henry's  Cottage  Maid,'  'The  Flowers  of  the  Forest,' etc.? 
Alasl  my  dear  wife,  can  those  who  know  care,  danger,  and  toil  only 
by  name,  and  whom  fortune  has  always  nursed  in  the  lap  of  ease, 
form  any  idea  of  the  luxurious  enjoyments  w^hich  are  crowded  into 
short  spaces  on  such  occasions? 

"But  enough  of  paper  conversations.  This,  I  hope,  closes  our 
ei  ;  ;  '  correspondence,  inasmuch  as  I  flatter  myself  with  not  be- 
ing ii^       separated  from  you." 

The  fef  lings  of  doubt  and  anxiety  with  regard  to  the 
recepwon  he  would  meet,  in  making  his  first  call  upon 
the  gentlemen  at  the  insurance  office,  were  speedily  dis- 
pelled and  in  the  most  agreeable  manner.  On  being  in- 
troduced to  the  president,  Fred.  De  Peyster,  Esq.,  he  rose 
to  meet  him  with  both  hands  extended,  and  his  counte- 
nance beaming  with  the  kindest  expressions,  as  if  anxious 
only  to  do  away  with  all  apprehension  of  want  of  sym- 
pathy or  failure  to  recognize  the  value  of  his  services. 

With  a  voice  full  of  emotion  he  acknowledged  the 
receipt  of  his  letter,  and  expressed  his  full  appreciation 
and  respect  for  the  feelings  it  betrayed.  Ho  thanked 
him  for  what  he  had  done  for  the  company,  and,  al- 
though not  authorized  to  speak  definitely  of  pecuniary 
remuneration,  assured  him  it  would  be  awarded  to  him. 
The  sincerity  with  which  my  father  assured  him,  in  re- 
ply, of  the  gratification  afforded  liim  by  this  friendly  re- 
ception will  not  be  doubted,  and  the  sense  of  relief  he 
experienced  was  soon  greatly  enhanced  by  the  congratu- 
lations he  received  from  leading  members  of  the  mer- 
cantile community — strangers  as  well  as  friends — who 
complimented  him  upon  the  success  he  had  achieved. 
Several  of  the  stockholders  of  the  insurance  company  ex- 
pressed their  sense  of  the  obligation  they  were  under  to 


' 

'J 

1 

1 

f 

OBJECTIONS  TO  HIS  CHARGES. 


221 


him,  and  an  old  and  highly  respected  merchant,^  who 
had  retired  from  business  with  an  ample  fortune,  said 
to  him,  after  the  exchange  of  customary  salutations, 
"  You  have  done  well  for  the  oflSce.  You  have  raispd 
the  value  of  its  stock  ten  per  cent.  They  cannot  give 
yon  less  than  $10,000." 

His  mind  being  relieved  by  such  abundant  evidence 
of  appreciation  of  his  services,  he  took  advantage  of  the 
time  while  the  ship  was  unloading  to  spend  a  week  with 
his  family  in  Lancaster,  Mass. 

On  his  return  he  learned  that  objection  w'as  made  to 
his  charge  of  ten  per  cent,  on  the  net  proceeds  of 
freights,  which  he  considered  to  be  no  more  than  a  just 
proportion  for  the  extra  services  rendered ;  since,  inde- 
pendently of  obtaining  the  restoration  of  the  ship  in  the 
manner  related,  he  had  procured  the  freights  and  .ne- 
gotiated all  the  business  without  the  aid  of  a  broker. 
And  when  sometimes  compelled  to  employ  an  agent  to 
collect  the  amount  rather  than  detain  the  ship,  the 
commission  paid  for  such  services  was  not  charged  to 
account  of  the  owners.  Besides,  had  the  graduation  of 
his  emoluments  been  made  with  any  reference  to  what 
they  would  have  been  but  for  the  seizure,  they  would 
have  much  exceeded  the  ten  per  cent,  charge. 

These  points  were  urged  upon  the  gentlemen  inter- 
ested, but  were  of  no  avail.  Mr.  Astor  being  in  Eu- 
rope, his  agent,  had  he  been  disposed  to  act  liberally, 
would  hardly  have  dared  to  be  less  exacting  than  the 
underwFiters,  and  hence  recourse  was  had  to  arbitration, 
the  result  of  which  was  a  deduction  of  two  and  a  half 
per  cent,  on  his  charge. 

♦  Benjamin  Bailey,  Esq. 


222 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


With  this  decision  he  felt  that  he  had  abundant  cause 
for  dissatisfaction.  But  trusting  to  the  repeated  (though 
unofficial)  assurances  of  President  De  Peyster,  of  pecun- 
iary remuneration,  he  refrained  from  manifesting  it,  and, 
having  submitted  to  the  decision  of  the  arbitrators,  ho 
left  the  city  for  his  home,  not  doubting  that  the  prom- 
ised remuneration  would  be  awarded  him. 

A  month  passed,  however,  without  a  line  from  the 
office  of  the  National  Insurance  Company,  and  so  a  sec- 
ond month,  when  he  could  no  longer  doubt  that  no  fur- 
ther action  on  tlieir  part  was  intended.  Indignant  at 
such  treatment,  and  mortified  at  being  thus  duped,  he 
determined,  at  least,  to  give  expression  to  the  feelings 
excited  by  their  conduct. 

Accordingly,  under  date  of  Lancaster,  December  22, 
1820,  he  addressed  a  letter  to  the  president  of  the  Na- 
tional Insurance  Company,  in  which  he  referred  to  his 
communication  of  the  6th  of  Octobe;  previous,  enumerat- 
ing the  unusual  services  he  had  rendered  the  companyiin 
the  recovery  and  successful  employment  of  the  Beaver^ 
and  further  remarked  that,  if  he  had  condescended  to 
make  invidious  comparisons,  he  could  have  proved  that 
what  they  considered  to  be  an  extra  commission  bore 
no  proportion  to  the  extra  earnings  of  the  Beaver  over 
every  other  vessel  then  on  the  Peruvian  coast,  and  this 
less  from  a  concurrence  of  favorable  circumstances  than 
from  his  superior  management. 

He  reminded  him  of  his  promise  of  remuneration,  and 
of  its  being  repeated  at  a  subsequent  interview ;  which 
promise  he  was  now  forced  to  believe  was  made  with 
the  express  design  of  throwing  him  off  his  guard,  in  or- 


MEANNESS  OF  THE  UNDERWRITERS. 


223 


der  the  better  to  deceive  liim ;  and  that  the  success  at- 
tending it  had  been  doubtless  gratifying  to  all  who 
shared  the  two  and  a  half  per  cent,  thus  saved  to  the 
company.     The  letter  closed  with  the  remark  that, 

"Had  I  conducted  your  business  with  as  little  regard  to  the  ob- 
servance of  the  rule  of  '  doing  unto  others  as  we  would  that  they 
should  dj  unto  us'  as  has  been  observed  in  this  instance  towards 
me,  the  result  of  the  Beaver's  voyage  would  have  been  very  differ- 
ent from  what  it  is." 

To  this  letter  he  never  received  a  reply. 
,It  is  only  proper  to  add  the  following  extract  from 
my  father's  narrative : 

"It  would  be  doing  injustice  to  the  venerable  and  respectable 
president  of  the  company  not  to  acknowledge  that,  although  of  ne- 
cessity he  was  the  person  to  be  officially  addressed,  I  believe  him  to 
have  been  incapable  of  a  mean  or  dishonorable  act,  and  that  when 
he  made  the  promise  alluded  to  he  sincerely  believed  the  directors 
would  confirm  it,  as  he  knew  they  ought.  Two  of  the  directors  ex- 
pressed to  me  their  disapproval  of  the  curtailment  of  my  commis- 
sion, and  a  third  said  to  me  that  he  felt  shame  at  being  one  of  un 
association  capable  of  such  dishonorable  conduct.  But  there  was 
one  individual  among  the  directors  whose  great  wealth  gave  him  a 
preponderating-  influence  in  the  affairs  of  the  office.  The  greater 
deference  paid  to  his  opinions  was  very  perceptible,  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  president,  taking  it  for  granted  that  a  handsome  com- 
pensation could  not  honorably  be  withheld,  had  the  temerity  to  as- 
sure me  of  it  before  consulting  with  him,  and  thus  caused  the  de- 
feat of  his  intention." 

More  than  sixty  years  have  passed  since  the  occur- 
rence of  the  above  transactions,  and  all  the  parties  to  it 
have  long  since  departed  from  their  earthly  labors. 

At  this  distance  of  time  there  can  be  no  impropriety 
in  giving  the  names  of  the  individuals  referred  to. 


224 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


Tho  influential  director  by  whom  the  president  was 
overruled  was  the  Honorable  Philip  Hone,  and  the  one 
■who  expressed  his  sense  of  shame  at  the  action  of  the 
company  was  Gardner  Howland,  Esq. 

As  an  interesting  episode,  and  as  exhibiting  a  phase 
of  my  fatlier's  character  of  which  there  is  no  hint  in  liis 
narrative,  I  may  here  appropriately  introduce  an  extract 
from  one  of  his :  jtters  to  my  mother,  written  from  New 
York  under  date  of  December  21,  1821,  just  one  year 
after  the  time  of  the  occurrences  just  narrated. 

Mr.  Astor  had  then  returned  from  Europe,  and  my 
father's  business  was  with  him,  but,  as  will  be  seen,  he 
postponed  the  interview  in  order  to  attend  the  ordina- 
tion of  the  first  Unitarian  minister  in  New  York,  an 
event  the  importance  of  which  (whether  for  good  or 
evil)  in  the  minds  of  the  religious  world  at  that  day 
few  now  living  can  recall,  and  no  one  can  estimate  by 
any  criterion  now  in  existence. 


'I 


"  New  York,  December  21, 1821. 
"  I  wrote  you  a  hasty  line  on  the  morning  of  my  arrival  here,  and 
then  mentioned  to  you  that  it  was  the  day  on  which  Mr. "Ware  was 
to  be  ordained,  but  doubted  whether  I  should  attend.  As  the  day 
was  rainy,  however,  I  concluded  the  house  would  not  be  crowded ; 
there  was  no  immediate  necessity  of  seeing  Mr.  Astor,  and  the  or- 
dination of  the  first  Unitarian  minister  in  New  York  might  prove 
an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  the  retrospect  of  which  (when 
error  and  bigotry  shall  be  abolished  by  the  light  of  reason  and  truth, 
of  which  this  may  be  considered  the  dawn)  will  be  viewed  with  great 
satisfaction  and  complacency,  particularly  by  those  who  have  main- 
tained it  in  spite  of  popular  clamor.  These  considerations  deter- 
mined me  to  attend  the  ordination,  where  I  was  exceedingly  grati- 
fied in  witnessing  the  most  solemn,  sublime,  and  affecting  services, 
such  as  were  strikingly  calculated  to  contrast  the  nothingness  and 


Tv' 


ORDINATION  OP  MR.  WARE. 


225 


imbecility  of  earthly  pursuits  with  those  profoundly  grand  and  sub- 
lime ones  which  have  God  and  Eternity  for  their  object.  The  house, 
though  small,  was  not  more  than  two  thirds  filled.  This  was  partly 
owing  to  the  weather,  but  probably  more  to  the  apprehension  of  be- 
ing contaminated.  Alasl  they  are  ignorant  of  what  they  have  lost. 
The  services  were  opened  by  an  anthem  on  a  well-toned  organ,  ac- 
companied by  a  select  choir,  which  was  very  good.  The  introduc- 
tory prayer  by  Mr.  Taylor  was  succeeded  by  a  hymn  from  the  so- 
ciety's collection.  The  sermon  by  Dr.  Ware,  from  Acts  xxviii.  22, 
was  everything  that  would  be  expected  from  that  distinguished 
scholar,  evincing  a  depth  of  erudition,  a  profundity  of  thought,  an 
independence  of  mind,  and  a  consciousness  of  being  guided  alone  by 
truth  and  reason,  that  carried  persuasion  and  conviction  along  with 
it.  Having  progressed  nearly  through  his  sermon,  he  then  addressed 
his  son  (the  candidate)  in  a  style  so  solemn  and  pathetic  as  exceed- 
ingly to  affect  the  audience,  and  closed  with  recommending  him  to  his 
people.  The  ordaining  prayer  by  Dr.  Hams  was  very  well,  followed 
by  a  hymn  said  to  have  been  composed  by  Mr.  Pierpoint.  The  charge 
by  Dr.  Bancroft  was  very  good,  but  its  excellence  was  diminished  by 
bad  delivery.  The  right  hand  of  fellowship  by  the  brother  of  the 
candidate  was  excellent,  and  not  less  affecting  than  the  address  from 
the  father;  indeed,  the  speaker  himself  was  so  far  overcome  that  he 
proceeded  with  difficulty,  and  the  audience  sympathized  with  him. 
A  concluding  prayer  by  Mr.  Pierpoint,  and  a  hymn  to  the  tune  of 
'Old  Hundred'  (in  which  I  heartily  joined)  closed  the  interestinc^ 
services.  This  event  has,  as  yet,  been  noticed  by  no  other  paper  in 
the  city  than  the  Evening  Post." 

10* 


CHAPTER  Xiy. 

1821-1860. 

Failure  to  Secure  the  Proceeds  of  his  Adventures.— Pursuit  of 
Arizmendi  to  Hamburg  and  subsequently  to  Madrid.  —  Mr. 
Shaler  Appointed  Consul  at  Havana.— My  Father  Goes  with 
him  as  Vice-Consul. —Death  of  Mr.  Shaler.— Obtains  an  Oflaco 
in  Boston  Custom-House.  —  Takes  up  his  Residence  with  me, 
and  Dies  in  my  House  at  the  Age  of  Eighty-seven. 

• 

The  voyage  just  narrated,  in  the  Beaver^  was  the  last 
of  a  series  of  voyages  to  most  parts  of  the  habitable 
globe,  during  a  period  of  twenty-four  years,  in  various 
kinds  of  craft,  from  the  boat  of  twenty-five  tons  to  the 
Indiainan  of  a  thousand  tons,  and,  as  will  have  been 
seen,  on  the  most  laborious  and  hazardous  enterprises. 

A  remarkable  fact,  which  is  well  worthy  of  notice,  is 
that  during  that  long  period,  some  portion  of  which 
was  passed  in  the  most  sickly  climates  of  the  globe,  my 
father  never  lost  but  three  men  of  liis  crew — two  by 
fever,  after  leaving  Batavia,  and  one  by  a  fall  from  the 
masthead.  Although  he  was  repeatedly  at  sea  for  five 
months  on  a  single  passage,  he  was  never  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  putting  his  men  on  allowance  of  provisions  or 
water;  and  to  this  circumstance,  combined  with  guard- 
ing them  from  unnecessary  fatigue  and  exposure,  he 
was  probably  indebted  for  the  happiness  of  escaping, 
not  only  that  terrible  scourge  to  seamen  on  long  voy- 
ages, the  scurvy,  but  almost  all  other  kinds  of  sickness. 


ABADIA  &  ARIZMENDI. 


22^ 


Some  of  his  experiences  subsequent  to  the  voyage  in 
the  Beaver  2i.YQ  so  connected  with  it  that  the  story  would 
be  incomplete  if  they  were  omitted,  and  I  therefore  give 
his  own  account  of  tiiem  in  the  following  extract  from 
his  published  narrative : 

"In  less  than  a  year  after  my  return  to  New  York  in  tlio  Beater 
I  was  destined  again  to  see  swept  off  the  greater  part  of  my  hard 
earnings.  A  most  unfortunate  enterprise  to  Gibraltar;*  incompe- 
tent, selfish,  and  careless  agents;  and,  more  than  either,  a  most 
Bhameful  abuse  of  the  confidence  I  had  placed  in  the  commercial 
house  at  Lima,  with  which  I  had  been  so  long  doing  business 
(Abadia  &  Arizmendi),  were  the  causes  of  these  misfortunes. 

"  Soon  after  these  reverses  became  known  to  my  friends  in  Boston 
I  met  my  highly  esteemed  friend,  George  Cabot,  who,  in  his  happy 
manner,  remarked  to  me  :  '  You  have  cut  a  great  deal  of  hay,  but 
you  have  got  it  in  very  badly.' 

"Alas !  I  felt  most  sensibly  that  it  was  too  true. 

"  The  information  of  the  revolution  in  Peru,  of  the  consequent 
confusion  in  the  commerce  of  Lima,  of  the  breaking-up  of  the  house 
of  Abadia  &  Arizmendi,  and  of  the  escape  of  the  latter  with  a  largo 
amount  in  silver  in  an  American  brig  for  Manilla,  was  received  hero 
not  many  months  after  my  arrival. 

"During  the  vice-regal  government  no  stranger  of  respectability 
ever  visited  Lima  without  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  Don  Pedro 
Abadia.  He  was  eminently  hospitable,  urbane,  and  friendly;  but 
although  of  superior  education  and  extensive  intercourse  with  man- 
kind, he  was  bigoted  and  priest-ridden.  His  talents  and  education 
and  the  extraneous  circumstances  of  his  being  agent  at  Lima  of  tho 
Philippine  Company,  and  of  his  brother's  being  one  of  the  cabinet 
of  King  Ferdinand,  all  combined  to  give  him  an  influence  with  tho 
viceroy  and  cabildo  unsurpassed  by  any  other  individual  in  tho 
kingdom.  This  influence  was  often  exerted  for  my  advantage,  or 
rather  for  that  of  the  owners  of  the  Beaver,  which  advantage  was 
reciprocal,  as  it  enabled  me  to  throw  into  the  hands  of  his  house 

*  This  refers  to  the  voyage  of  the  ship  Drottingen,  which  he  had 
despatched  for  Gibraltar  from  Guayaquil. 


228 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


many  Vftluab  !  consignments.  It  was  Abadla  who  gave  to  the  house 
the  character  of  respectability  it  possessed,  and  this  was  such  as  to 
inspire  a  degree  of  confidence  which  secured  to  it  almost  exclusively 
the  foreign  business  of  the  place. 

"Don  Jose  de  Arizmendi  was  the  active  man  of  the  house— a  man 
who  possessed  the  capacity  of  accomplishing  much  and  varied  busi- 
ness with  a  degree  of  despatch  and  skill  very  rarely  seen  amomj  his 
countrymen.  While  present  with  him  he  would  conduct  the  busi- 
ness with  which  he  was  charged  on  fair,  honorable,  and  liberal 
principles.  By  this  semblance  of  honesty  I  was  deceived,  and  was 
induced  to  confide  in  the  house  to  an  extent  which  I  discovered, 
when  too  late,  was  entirely  unmerited,  and  which  was  attended  with 
ruinous  consequences. 

"  It  was  late  in  my  transactions  with  the  house  b<  I  learned 
the  peculiarity  of  the  connection  of  the  partners.  Abulia  s  relation 
to  the  Philippine  Company  did  not  admit  of  his  engaging  in  a  pri- 
vate mercantile  house;  hence,  while  a  sharer  in  its  advantages,  he 
was  exempt  from  its  responsibilities;  and  hence  all  the  accounts 
and  business  documents  were  signed  exclusively  by  Arizmendi.  Had 
these  facts  been  'tnown,  as  they  should  have  been,  it  would  have 
tended  greatly  to  diminish  the  general  confidence  in  the  house. 

"Late  in  the  summer  of  1823  mention  was  made  in  one  of  the  Bos- 
ton papers  of  the  arrival  of  Seilor  Arizmendi  at  Hamburg,  in  the 
lioscoe,  of  Salem,  freighted  with  a  rich  cargo  for  his  account  from 
Manilla.  As  I  had  no  doubt  that  this  was  my  quondam  friend,  I 
flattered  myself  that  by  starting  immediately  I  might  reach  Ham- 
burg before  he  left.  Accordingly,  in  forty-eight  hours  aftjer  receiv- 
ing the  information  I  was  on  my  way  to  New  York ;  and  in  thirty 
days  more  I  arrived  at  Hamburg  via  Liverpool,  London,  Harwich, 
and  Cuxhaven.  But  I  had  the  mortification  to  find  that  my  labor 
was  in  vain. 

"  Arizmendi  had  landed  at  Teneriffe,  and  the  cargo  of  the  JRoseoe, 
yet  unsold,  was  so  well  covered  in  the  name  of  a  Seiior  Zavaleta,  a 
former  clerk  of  Arizmendi,  who  swore  the  property  belonged  exclu- 
sively to  himself,  that  it  could  not  be  touched. 

"After  passing  four  days  at  Hamburg, a.ud.with  the  aid  of  one  of 
tjie  most  intelligent  merchants  of  that  city,  being  unable  to  effect 
ftpything,  I  set  out  on  mj  return  by  the  sanae  route  I  had  come. 


LETTER  TO  ABADIA. 


229 


Fortunately  I  nrrlvcd  at  Liverpool  just  as  the  packet  I  came  in  was 
hauling  out  of  dock  on  her  return,  and,  embarking,  I  arrived  at  New 
York  on  the  seventy-third  day  after  leaving  there. 

"  The  following  year  (1824)  I  learned  that  Sefior  Abadia  had  ar- 
rived at  St.  Thomas,  and  immediately  wrote  him  on  the  subject  of 
my  claim  upon  his  house.  The  following  copy  of  my  letter  will  best 
explain  the  whole  matter: 

"L\-scA8TKH,M\sB.,  September  21,1824. 
"Don  Pedro  Abadia: 

"Dear  Sir, — By  a  letter  from  our  mutual  friend,  Mr,  C ,  I  leam 

that  after  many  perils  and  some  pecuniary  embarrassment  you  have 
arrived  safe  at  St.  Thomas.  On  this  event  permit  me  to  oiler  yon 
my  most  hearty  congrn*  lations.  It  was  reported  last  year  that  you 
had  arrived  at  Porto  Kico,  and  knowing  that  you  possessed  a  coffee 
plantation  there  I  thwight  this  very  probable,  and  directed  several 
'letters  to  you  there,  some  one  of  which  you  may  have  received. 
These  letters  were  written  with  the  hope  of  inducing  you  to  use 
gome  effort  or  point  out  some  means  by  which  the  confidence  I 
placed  in  the  honor  and  integrity  of  your  house  should  not  be  pro- 
ductive of  my  ruin.  Among  various  other  items,  you  must  be  aware 
that  a,  sum  of  $15,000,  charged  me  in  account,  as  shipped  for  mc  on 
board  the  Macedonian,  Rnd  for  which  I  hold  duplicate  acknowledg- 
ments of  Arizmendi,  was  never  shipped.  I  will  not  attempt  to  de- 
scribe ray  astonishment,  when,  after  a  great  lapse  of  time,  I  received 
letters  from  Captain  Smith  informing  me  that  I  had  been  deceived, 
and  that  no  property  had  been  shipped  with  him,  either  for  my  ac- 
count or  that  of  your  house.  Independent  of  other  sums,  this 
amount,  with  five  years'  interest,  will  make  an  aggregate  of  upwards 
of  $20,000,  as  one  item  now  due  me  from  your  house.  Consider, 
my  dear  sir,  that  this  is  the  fruit  of  very  hard  labor  in  the  most  toil- 
some profession,  and  that  on  the  possession  or  loss  of  it  is  dependent 
a  life  of  ease  and  comfort  with  my  family,  or  protracted  absence, 
care,  and  toil  for  the  rest  of  my  life. 

"  You  informed  Mr.  C that  Arizmendi  saved  about  $300,000. 

I  heard  two  years  since  of  his  arrival  at  Manilla  with  a  large  prop- 
erty; that  last  year  he  had  there  chartered  the  brig  Roscoe,  and  with 
this  properly  had  arrived  at  Hamburg.  In  forty-eight  hours  after 
receiving  this  information  I  was  on  my  way  to  Liverpool,  where  I 


ma 


2»0 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


arrived  early  in  October,  and  proceeded  immediately  to  London, 
and  caused  inquiries  to  be  made  of  the  Spanish  houses  there  if  they 
knew  anything  of  Aiizmendi.  They  referred  me  to  the  London 
Times,  of  October  7  (only  two  days  before  my  arrival),  in  which 
appeared  the  advertiserjient  which  I  send  to  Mr.  C ,  to  be  for- 
warded to  you.  This  advertisement  was  sufficient  to  account  for 
Arizmendi  s  not  venturing  up  channel  to  accompany  his  property  to 
Hamburg.  I  therefore  proceeded  to  Hamburg,  where  I  found  an 
amount  of  sixty  or  seventy  thousand  dollars  of  the  cargo  of  the 
Hoaeoe  in  possession  of  a  Mr.  Zavaleta,  in  whose  name  it  had  been 
shipped  at  Manilla,  who  had  accompanied  it,  and  who  solemnly 
swore  it  belonged  to  him.  Arizmendi  had  been  landed  at  Teneriffe. 
I  had  then,  and  have  now,  no  doubt  that  this  property  belonged  to 
Arizmendi;  but,  unfortunately,  I  could  produce  no  proof  of  it,  and 
therefore  my  efforts  were  of  no  avail.  I  wrote  to  a  house  at  Tene- 
riffe, and  received  for  answer  that  Arizmendi  remained  there  only 
two  or  three  days,  and  then  embarked  for  the  Continent.  This  is  the 
last  I  have  heard  of  his  movenr.ents.  He  told  Zavaleta  he  bhould 
assume  some  other  name.  In  this  case  I  do  not  see  how  you  can  dis- 
cover where  he  is  or  how  he  can  learn  that  you  are  at  St.  Thomas. 

"I  presume  from  the  tenor  of  your  letter  to  Mr.  C that  you 

have  no  amount  of  property  with  you,  and  that  not  less  on  your 
own  account  than  from  a  desire  which  I  believe  you  to  possess  to 
do  justice  to  your  creditors,  you  will  leave  no  effort  untried  to  dis- 
cover the  retreat  of  Arizmendi,  and  to  get  that  property  from  him, 
which,  while  withheld  from  the  creditors  of  the  house,  will,  how- 
ever undeserved,  be  considered  not  less  dishonorable  to  the  name 
and  character  of  Abadia  than  to  that  of  Arizmendi.  If  there  should 
be  any  such  chance  for  the  recovery  of  the  property  as  A*ould  jus- 
tify the  expense  of  my  meeting  you  at  St.  Thomas  and  there  taking 
your  directions  and  power  to  settle  with  Arizmendi  in  Europe,  I 
would  not  hesitate  to  embark  on  such  an  expedition;  indeed,  I 
would  even  proceed  to  Lir.:ja,  if  you  had  any  property  remaining 
there  which  there  was  a  fair  chance  of  recovering." 

.  "  Whethei'  this  letter  was  6ver  received  by  Abadia  I  have  not  been 
informed.  Scarcely  two  months  after  writing  it  I  received  informa- 
tion which  could  be  depended  on  that  Arizmendi  was  at  his  pater- 


PURSUIT  OF  ARIZMENDL 


281 


nal  residence  at  Zarauz,  in  Guipuscoa.  I  had  no  hesitation ,  there- 
fore, in  embarking-  in  December,  at  New  Yorlc,  in  a  brig  boucd  for 
Bordeaux.  Arriving  there  in  January,  1825,  1  proceeded  na  Ba- 
yonne  Passage  and  Yrun  to  St.  Sebastian.  From  thence  a  messenger 
was  sent  to  Zarauz,  who  soon  returned  with  information  that  Ariz- 
mendi  was  at  Madrid,  and  with  the  name  of  the  street  wliere  ho 
resided.  Taking  the  diligence,  I  had  the  good-fortune  to  reach  Ma- 
drid without  being  robbed. 

"  The  next  day  I  succeeded,  not  without  much  difficulty,  in  find- 
ing the  person  of  whom  I  had  so  long  been  in  pursuit,  and  was 
actually  once  more  in  his  presence.  Had  an  apparition  appeared  to 
him  he  could  not  have  exhibited  greater  evidence  of  astonishment 
and  dismay;  nor  was  it  until  the  expiration  of  some  minutes  that  be 
was  able  to  converse  rationally.  Unfortunately  it  required  but  little 
conversation  to  ascertain  that  ray  efforts  w^ould  prove  to  be  unavail- 
ing and  that  I  could  recover  notliing.  He  had  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing what  in  Spanish  law  is  termed  a  '  morotoria,'  which  is  a  security 
against  molestation  of  person  or  property  by  creditors  for  a  certain 
peiiod.  His  was  for  four  years.  He  begged  me  not  to  press  my 
demand,  declared  that  he  had  the  control  of  no  property,  and  the 
wretchedly  mean,  dirty,  and  obscure  lodgings  he  occupied  would 
have  sufficed  to  confirm  the  truth  of  such  assertion  if  made  by  any 
but  a  very  cunning  man.  But  I  had  no  faith  in  it,  and  therefore  did 
not  desist  from  the  pursuit  until  satisfied  by  repeated  conversations 
with  him,  and  the  best  advice  I  could  procure  during  a  residence  of 
a  fortnight  in  Madrid,  that  there  existed  not  a  hope  of  obtaining 
anything.  As  some  alleviation  to  my  disappointment,  so  far  as  it 
tended  to  keep  up  hope,  Arizmendi  gave  me  a  power  of  attorney  for 
the  recovery  of  a  large  amount  of  property  alleged  to  be  due  him 
from  sundry  merchants  in  the  United  States.  From  a  cursory  ex- 
amination of  these  claims  I  was  led  to  believe  that  a  considerable  sum 
might  be  recovered,  and  I  therefore  flattered  myself  that  there  existed 
some  chance  of  indemnification  for  my  trouble  and  perseverance. 

"  Burying  my  disappointment  in  the  oblivion  which  screened  such 
A  multitude  of  its  predecessors,  1  passed  the  time  very  agreeably  in 
Madrid  in  visiting  the  numerous  objects  of  interest  with  wliich  that 
city  abounds. 

"  The  ci-devant  Viceroy  of  Peru,  Don  Joaquin  de  la  Pczuela,  hear- 


W 


i 


i 


I 


232 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


ing  of  my  being  in  the  city,  sent  a  messenger  to  mo  with  an  invita- 
tion to  his  house,  where  he  received  me  with  the  cordiality  of  an  old 
friend.  He  inquired  how  my  various  mercantile  operations  had  re- 
sulted, and  evinced  an  interest  in  my  affairs  which  was  as  pleasing 
as  it  was  unexpected.  His  inquiries  for  Captain  Biddle  and  his  ex- 
pressions of  friendship  for  him  were  made  with  an  earnestness  of 
manner  which  left  no  doubt  of  the  esteem  and  regard  he  cherished 
for  that  distinguished  officer.  To  the  hospii»lIty  of  our  worthy 
minister,  Mr.  Nelson,  and  to  that  of  the  family  of  Mr.  Rich,  I  was  in- 
debted for  some  of  the  most  agreeable  social  hours  I  passed  at  Madrid. 

"Taking  leave  of  my  kind  friends  in  Madrid,  I  returned  to  Bor- 
deaux, and  learning,  ou  arriving  there,  that  no  opportunity  for  tho 
United  States  would  offer  for  some  weeks,  I  took  the  diligence  for 
Paris,  where,  after  passing  u  week,  I  proceeded  to  Havre,  and  took 
passage  in  the  Edward  Quemel  for  New  York,  and  arrived  there  in 
April.  1835.  . 

"  The  agency  for  the  collection  of  another's  debts  is  an  unaccept- 
able service,  and  especially  so  when  they  arc  of  a  description  suscep- 
tible of  controversy;  but  in  this  instance  there  existed  more  than  the 
usual  inducement,  for  I  hoped  thus  to  cancel  the  debt  due  me.  Up- 
wards of  $100,000  were  claimed  of  a  Boston  merchant,*  the  justice 
of  which  he  denied,  and  refused  to  pay  any  part  of  it.  A  demand 
on  a  merchant  of  Baltimore  for  a  much  less  amount  was  equally 
unsuccessful.  The  only  debt  acknowledged  by  the  signature  of  the 
debtor  was  that  of  an  old  and  intimate  friend,f  who  could  ill  spare 
the  money,  and  from  whom  it  was  very  painful  to  me  to  exact  it; 
but  forbearance  would  have  been  a  dereliction  of  duty,  and  would 
have  been  no  otherwise  serviceable  to  him  than  to  defer  the  time  of 
payment.  Accordingly  I  recovered  from  him  an  amount  about 
equal  to  one  fourth  of  that  due  me  from  Arizmendi. 

"When  convinced  that  nothing  more  could  be  recovered  under 
the  power  of  attorney,  I  wrote  to  Arizmendi  under  his  assumed  name 
of  Don  Fausto  Corral,  as  agreed  on,  to  this  effect,  assuring  him  of 
my  conviction  that  he  would  never  obtain  anything  through  the  in- 
termediation of  an  agent,  and  that  the  only  course  which  presented 
any  prospect  of  success  was  to  come  to  this  country  and  prosecute 


*  JohnEUery. 


f  Samuel  Curson. 


i 


ARIZMENDI  IN  BOSTON. 


288 


the  business  in  person.  This,  however,  I  did  not  believe  he  "would 
do  on  account  of  the  large  demands  against  his  house  which  were 
held  here. 

"  Nearly  two  years  elapsed  after  writing  this  letter,  during  which 
I  heard  nothing  from  or  of  him,  when,  suddenly  and  without  any  pre- 
vious intimation  to  any  one,  he  made  his  appearance  in  Boston,  accom- 
panied by  a  nephew, who,  like  himself,  spoke  no  other  than  the  Span- 
ish language.  They  were  in  very  obscure  and  ordinary  lodgings, 
kept  by  a  foreigner,  which  circumstance,  combined  with  the  fact  that 
they  brought  no  letters,  was  evidence  of  their  wish  for  concealment. 

"  I  now  felt  a  security  and  consequent  exultation  in  the  recovery 
of  ray  property  which  I  had  not  before  experienced;  indeed,  I  per- 
ceived no  way  in  which  it  could  be  eluded.  But  man's  shortsight- 
edness is  proverbial,  and  scarce  a  day  passes  that  it  is  not  made  self- 
evident.  .As  Arizmendi  was  indebted  $10,000  to  myself  and  Mr. 
Carrington,  of  Providence,  jointly,  for  short  freight  on  a  ship  be- 
longing to  us  equally,  I  did  not  imagine  that  any  mischief  could 
arise  from  my  notifying  hira  of  Arizmeudi's  arrival,  though  the  rcr 
suit  clearly  proved  t  the  information  had  better  been  delayed. 
With  ill-jnclged  impciu  '  c  sent  tho  papers  proving  the  debt  to 

a  lawjer  in  Boston,  with  directio  s  to  institute  a  suit,  notifying  me 
at  the  same  time  of  his  having  done  '^o.  Percei  ing  at  once  the  mis- 
chief that  would  result  from  precipitate  action,  i  went  to  the  lawyer 
and  persuaded  him  to  wait  a  week,  with  tho  view  f  pcivin^'^  Ariz- 
mendi time  to  ascertain  the  prospect  of  his  recovering  the  property 
of  which  he  was  in  pursuit.  This  engagciiicnt  was  not  adhered  to; 
the  writ  ^ls  issued,  and,  for  want  of  bail,  he  was  imprisoned,  thus 
depriving  him  of  the  power  of  making  the  c<  ctions  on  which 
mainly  depended  the  chance  of  our  obtainii  .  payment.  It  was 
literally  destroying  the  bird  that  was  destined  to  lay  the  golden  egg. 

"  This  error  being  manifest,  one  of  the  partners  of  the  Providence 
house  came  on,  and,  in  the  hope  of  retrieving  it,  we  united  in  an  act 
which  only  made  matters  worse,  that  of  releasing  him  on  his  prom- 
ise of  making  a  settlement,  for  it  soon  became  evident  that  his  only 
object  was  to  secure  his  liberty,  and  that  he  had  no  intention  of  ful- 
filling his  engagement.  On  being  satisfied  of  this  a  new  suit  was 
instituted ;  but  before  the  writ  could  be  served  on  him  he  managed 
to  escape,  by  the  aid  of  a  Boston  merchant,  who  enabled  him  to 


n 


I 


234 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


elude  the  vigilance  of  the  officer  charged  with  his  arrest,  concealed 
him  until  a  vessel  for  St.  Thomas  was  ready  to  sail,  and  then  caused 
him  to  be  conveyed  on  board. 

"  In  judging  of  actions  we  often  err,  and  are  guilty  of  injustice  to 
the  individual  whose  motives  we  undertake  to  scan,  but  in  this  case 
there  can  be  no  mistake.  As  there  existed  no  personal  animosity 
towards  me  on  the  part  of  this  merchant,  he  could  only  have  been 
actuated  by  motives  of  sordid  interest.  Arizmendi's  principal  ob- 
ject in  coming  to  Boston  was  to  collect  a  debt  of  upwards  of  $100,000, 
alleged  to  be  due  him  from  this  man. 

"  On  the  presumption  that  it  was  desirable  for  him  to  escape  the 
payment  of  this  debt,  or  even  to  avert  a  troublesome  course  of  liti- 
gation, nothing  could  possibly  have  been  more  opportune  than  the 
coincidence  of  circumstances  which  enabled  him  to  become  the  con- 
fidant, adviser,  and  benefactor  of  Arizmendi;  ostensibly  to  screen 
him'from  the  rigors  of  a  prison,  but  really  to  rid  himself  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  raying  his  debt;  for,  once  away,  he  knew  there  was  a 
moral  certainty  he  would  not  return  to  prosecute  the  claim  in  per- 
son, and  it  was  evident  it  could  not  be  done  by  an  agent  except  at 
the  risk  of  the  property's  being  trusteed.  But  every  single  act  of  a 
man's  life,  when  seen  from  the  right  point  of  view,  is  found  to  be  in 
harmony  with  his  whole  character. 

"It  was  now  evident  that  I  must  relinquish  all  hope  of  ever  re- 
covering any  portion  f  this  debt,  a  debt  so  considerable  that  its  loss 
was  productive  of  lifelong  inconvenience;  a  debt  for  the  recovery  of 
which  I  hud  made  two  voyages  to  Europe,  had  induced  my  debtor 
to  come  to  this  country,  and,  wheu  apparently  on  the  point  of  secur- 
ing payment,  been  compelled,  by  the  blundering  mismanagement  of 
one  man  and  rascality  of  another,  to  see  the  opportunity  defeated." 

It  seemed,  indeed,  a  cruel  and  inglorious  termination 
of  the  series  of  enterprises  o  ably  planned  and  energet- 
ically prosecuted  to  be  tlins  deprived  of  their  legitimate 
results,  and  the  burden  was  the  more  grievous  as  he  no 
longer  possessed  the  youthful  vigor  and  elasticity,  which 
looks  only  to  the  future,  forgetful  of  past  disappoint- 
ments. 


1 


VICE-CONSUL  AT  HAVANA. 


235 


>  Is 

Hi 


His  habits  had  always  been  simple,  and  no  man  could 
be  more  averse  to  any  ostentatious  display  of  wealth 
than  he.  But  he  was  generous  by  nature,  and  could 
not  restrict  himself  in  any  expenditure  demanded  for 
-the  comfort  of  his  family,  the  education  of  his  children, 
the  claims  of  friendship,  or  the  exercise  of  a  generous 
hospitality.  He  had  sought  money  as  a  means  to  these 
ends,  and  their  indulgence  had  become  too  strongly 
confirmed  by  habit  to  be  abandoned  at  the  age  of  fifty. 
But  he  felt  the  imprudence,  at  that  age,  of  exposing  him- 
self and  the  remnants  of  foutune  he  had  secured  to  fur- 
ther risks  of  such  nature  as  might  be  justifiable  with  a 
younger  man. 

He  had  kept  up  an  uninterrupted  correspondence 
with  his  old  friend  Shaler  during  Jiis  long  residence  at 
Algiers  as  consul-gen 'jral  of  the  United  States,  and  kept 
alive  the  warm  friendship  begun  in  their  early  man- 
hood. In  1828  Mr.  Shaler  received  the  appointment  of 
consul  at  Havana,  and  immediately  invited  my  father  to 
accompany  him  as  vice-consul,  sharing  equally  the  emol- 
uments of  the  office.  These  were  at  that  time  depend- 
ent on  fees  from  American  shipping,  and  although  our 
commerce  with  that  port  was  then  so  large  that  the  of- 
fice was  worth  from  $7000  to  $10,000  a  year,  and,  next 
to  Liverpool,  the  most  valud!ble  in  the  gift  of  the  presi- 
dent, yet,  until  Mr.  Shaler's  appointment,  the  United 
States  had  only  been  represented  by  a  commercial  agent. 

At  this  time,  also,  Mr.  Shaler  purchased  of  my  father 
the  estate  at  Lancaster  which  had  been  his  home  ever 
since  his  marriage  in  1804,  and  placed  his  widowed  sis- 
ter, Mrs.  Stilwell,  with  her  family,  in  charge  of  it,  while 


I 


^86 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


I  <  < 


he  went  with  my  father  and  mother  to  Havana  and  (be- 
ing a  bachelor)  resided  with  them  there  until  the  melan- 
choly occurrence  of  his  death  from  cholera  in  1833. 
The  disease  raged  fearfully  there  at  the  time,  and  up- 
wards of  eight  hundred  deaths  occurred  on  the  day  that 
Mr.  Shaler  died.  Ho  was  first  attacked  at  five  p.m.,  and 
died  next  day  at  seven  a.m.  The  dead  were  carried  off 
in  carts  and  no  funeral  rites  allowed,  and  it  was  only  by 
an  energetic  appeal  to  the  captain-general  that  my  fath- 
er got  a  permit  to  enclose  the  remains  of  his  old  friend 
in  a  coflSn  and  accompany  i^  as  a  solitary  mourner  to  the 
foreigners'  burying-ground  at  Chorero,  five  miles  west 
of  the  city,  on  the  sea-shore,  where  he  saw  it  interred, 
and  subsequently  placed  over  the  spot  a  massive  stone 
monument  bearing  a  suitable  inscription. 

The  American  merchants  in  Havana  immediately 
united  in  a  unanimous  petition  that  my  father  should  be 
appointed  to  the  consulate,  the  essential  duties  of  which 
he  had  performed  for  five  years  in  so  satisfactory  a  man- 
ner as  to  elicit  a  voluntary  and  highly  complimentary  ex- 
pression of  satisfaction  from  the  Treasury  Department  at 
Washington.  Memorials  of  similar  purport  were  also 
sent  to  Washington  by  the  merchants  of  New  York, 
Boston,  Salem,  and  Portland  who  were  engaged  in  the 
Havana  trade.  Danidl  Webster  and  his  fellow-senator, 
Nathaniel  Silsbee  (my  father's  old  friend),  exerted  them- 
selves actively  in  his  behalf.  But  the  doctrine  that 
"to  the  victors  belong  the  spoils  "had  then  just  been, 
for  the  first  time,  promulgated  by  Secretary  Marcy, 
And  my  father  was  one  of  the  earliest  to  suffer  by  its 
execution.    The  memory  of  his  vigorous  denunciation 


PROFITS  AND  LOSSES. 


237 


of  the  principle,  as  subversive  of  all  honest  administra- 
tion, gives  me  a  lively  sense  of  the  satisfaction  he  would 
have  felt  could  he  have  foreseen  that  it  would  receive 
its  death-blow  at  the  hands  of  his  kinsman,  the  present 
President  of  the  United  States. 

Though  my  father  was  never  an  active  politician,  he 
was  always  a  stanch  whig,  and  that  fact  was  sufficient 
cause  for  removal.  The  place  was  given  to  Mr.  Nicho- 
las P.  Trist,  a  young  Virginia  lawyer  who  had  been  the 
private  secretary  of  President  Jackson.  He  was  a  gen- 
tlemanly and  very  intelligent  man,  but  entirely  inexperi- 
enced in  commercial  and  maritime  affairs,  and  had  ac- 
cepted the  office  in  the  full  expectation  that  my  father 
would  be  glad  to  remain*  and  wield  the  laboring  oar. 
Tiiis,  however,  he  positively  declined,  though  offered  the 
same  terms  on  which  he  had  been  associated  with  Mr. 
Shaler,  and  he  returned  to  the  United  States  as  soon  as 
Mr.  Trist  had  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office. 

In  the  final  chapter  of  his  published  narrative  my 
father  gives  a  resume  of  the  profits  and  losses  of  his 
various  adventures,  and  concludes  as  follows : 


, 
j 


"On  making  an  estimate  of  my  losses  for  the  twenty  years  be- 
tween 1805  and  1835, 1  find  their  aggregate  amount  to  exceed  $200,000, 
although  I  never  possessed  at  any  one  time  a  sum  exceeding  |80,000. 
Under  such  losses  I  have  been  supported  by  the  consoling  reflection 
that  they  have  been  exclusively  my  own,  and  that  it  is  not  in  the 
power  of  any  individual  to  say,  with  truth,  that  1  have  ever  injured 
him  to  the  amount  of  a  dollar.  With  a  small  annual  sura  from  the 
Neapolitan  indemnity  I  have  been  able  to  support  myself  till  this 
was  on  the  point  of  ceasing,  by  the  cancelling  of  that  debt,  when  I 
was  so  fortunate  as  to  obtain  an  office  in  the  Boston  Custora-House, 
the  duties  of  which  I  hope  to  perform  faithfully  and  in  peace  during 


238 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


the  few  remaining  years,  or  months,  or  days  "which  may  be  allotted 
me  on  earth." 

He  continned  to  hold  tliis  office  for  some  years,  bnt 
was  deposed  by  a  new  administration,  and,  in  1845, 
removed  with  my  mother  to  my  home  in  Burlington, 
N.  J.,  and  continued  to  reside  with  me  till  the  end  of  his 
life.  My  mother  died  in  Burlington  in  1860.  In  1854, 
my  father  removed  with  me  to  Massachusetts,  and  died 
in  my  house  in  Danvers,  November  23, 1860,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-seven. 

From  the  many  obituary  notices  of  my  father  which 
appeared  in  Boston,  Salem,  New  York,  and  elsewhere, 
I  select  the  following,  from  the  pen  of  Hon.  George  S. 
Hillard,  as  comprising  the  fullest  and  most  discrimina- 
ting statement  of  the  peculiar  combination  of  elements 
which  formed  his  character.  It  appeared  in  the  Boston 
Courier  of  December  8, 1860 : 

"THE  LATE  RICHARD  J.  CLEVELAND. 

"In  announcing,  a  few  days  since,  the  death  of  this  venerable  and 
excellent  man,  we  promised  to  pay  some  more  extended  tribute  to 
his  worth  than  we  then  did,  and  this  promise  we  now  propose  to 
redeem. 

"He  was  bom  in  Salem,  December  19, 1778,  and  had  thus  nearly 
reached  the  great  age  of  eighty-seven  years  when  he  died,  having 
long  survived  most  of  his  contemporaries,  and  moving  among  their 
children  and  grandchildren  as  one  of  the  few  survivors  of  a  former 
generation. 

"He  was  trained  in  the  counting-houue  of  the  late  E.  H.  Derby, 
Esq.,  and,  as  was  the  case  with  so  many  energetic  spirits  at  that  time, 
he  combined  the  duties  and  the  knowledge  of  the  merchant  and  tho 
navigator. 

"  His  first  voyage  was  in  1793,  in  company  with  the  late  Nathaniel 
Silsbee,  who  commanded  the  brig.    Mr.  Silsbee  was  not  twenty  years 


OBITUARY  NOTICE. 


99^ 


of  age;  his  chief  mate  was  about  as  old,  and  Mr.  Cleveland,  who  was 
captain's  clerk,  was  only  nineteen. 

"The  beginning,  however,  of  that  series  of  enterprises  which 
formed  the  main  work  of  his  life,  and  in  which  he  showed  such  re- 
markable qualities  of  mind  and  character,  was  in  1797,  when,  finding 
himself  at  Havre,  and  left  at  liberty  by  the  unexpected  abandonment 
of  a  voyage  by  the  owner  of  a  ship  he  had  the  charge  of,  he  bought 
a  little  cutter  of  only  thirty-eight  tons,  and  sailed  for  the  Isle  of 
France  with  a  crew  of  two  men  and  a  boy.  From  that  time  till 
1804  ho  was  navigating,  at  first  alone,  and  afterwards  in  company 
with  the  late  William  Shaler,  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  achiev- 
ing triumphantly  feats  which  experienced  navigators  regarded  as 
impossibilities. 

"From  1804  to  1820  he  was  more  or  less  engaged  in  enterprises 
■which  were  marked  with  the  characteristics  of  almost  unequalled 
boldness,  combined  with  a  power  of  execution  which  enabled  him 
to  carry  them  to  a  successful  issue.  The  incidents  of  these  qvent- 
f  ul  years  were  detailed  by  him  in  a  work,  published  in  1842,  entitled 
'A  Narrative  of  Voyages  and  Commercial  Enterprises,'  which 
passed  through  two  editions  in  America  and  was  republished  in 
England.  This  work  is  written  in  a  style  of  attractive  simplicity, 
and  no  one  can  read  it  without  admiration  of  the  noble  and  gener* 
ous  qualities  which  the  unpretending  narrative  unconsciously  re- 
veals. 

"  He  was  a  man  of  traits  of  character  not  of»«n  found  in  combina- 
tion. He  bad  great  boldness,  resolution,  and  energy;  inflexible 
courage  and  indomitable  perseverance,  but  he  was  no  less  remarka- 
ble for  refinement  of  feeling,  purity  of  soul,  and  delicacy  of  percep- 
tion. A  more  perfect  gentleman,  alike  in  essence  and  manner,  was 
never  seen.  His  domestic  affections  were  very  strong;  he  had  a 
genuine  enjoyment  of  nature,  and  a  love  of  reading  which  was  a 
constant  pleasure  and  resource  alike  in  the  busy  and  the  unemployed 
moments  of  his  life. 

"During  his  crowded  years  of  activity  and  enterprise  he  made 
and  lost  Touch  property,  and  more  than  once  deemed  himself,  and 
had  a  right  to  deem  himself,  a  rich  man ;  but  the  end  of  it  was  that 
he  found  himself  in  his  old  age  a  poor  man.  This  was  not  owing,  as 
might  be  surmised,  to  any  reckless  and  extravagant  habits  induced 


240 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


by  the  ease  with  which  independence  had  been  won,  for  he  was  a  man 
of  very  simple  tastes  and  with  no  expensive  wants.  But  he  was  ex- 
tremely generous,  and  this  trait  led  him  to  aid,  with  profuse  liberali- 
ty, all  who  had  any  claims  upon  his  affection.  And  while  in  the 
planning  9t  commercial  enterprises  he  showed  rare  inventive  quali- 
ties, and  in  the  execution  of  them  wonderful  energy  and  persever- 
ance, he  was  somewhat  deficient  in  those  humbler  qualities  which 
enable  men  to  keep  and  manage  what  they  have  earned;  and  no  one 
need  be  told  that  the  accumulation  of  wealth  depends  quite  as  much 
upon  the  latter  class  of  gifts  as  the  former.  But  this  reverse  of 
fortune  served  to  bring  out  more  and  more  the  beauty  of  Captain 
Cleveland's  character  and  give  him  new  claims  to  the  affection  and 
esteem  of  his  friends.  It  was  gently,  patiently,  and  heroically  borne ; 
never  a  word  of  complaint  was  heard  from  his  lips,  never  a  bitter 
arraignment  of  the  ways  of  Providence,  never  an  envious  fling  at 
the  prosperity  of  others.  And  the  wise,  kind,  cheerful  old  man  was 
Imppy  to  the  end.  His  last  years  were  passed  in  the  family  of  his 
youngest  son,  soothed  and  gladdened  by  the  most  affectionate  care. 
His  decay  was  gradual,  and  he  was  released  at  last  without  suf- 
fering. 

*'  Captain  Cleveland,  among  other  traits,  was  remarkable  for  his 
strict  temperance,  although  he  grew  up  at  a  time  when  the  usages  of 
society  made  abstinence  from  intoxicating  drinks  a  harder  duty  than 
now.  During  his  whole  life  he  never  drank  a  glass  of  wine,  or  of 
any  alcoholic  liquor,  or  of  porter,  ale,  or  beer,  and  never  used  tobacco 
in  any  form.  He  ascribed  his  uniform  good  health  to  these  temper- 
ate habits;  but,  with  his  usual  simplicity  of  manner,  he  never  took 
any  moral  airs  upon  himself  on  this  account,  but  was  accustomed  to 
say,  when  he  alluded  to  the  subject  at  all,  which  was  rarely,  that 
the  reason  he  did  not  drink  wine  was  because  ho  did  not  like  the 
taste  of  it." 


As  I  was  but  a  little  child  at  the  time  my  father  had 
concluded  the  last  of  his  voyages,  my  early  recollections 
of  him  have  no  connection  with  such  characteristics  as 
arc  naturally  associated  with  the  conception  of  a  daring 
adventurer.     He  never  encouraged  in  liis  children  the 


niS  DOMESTIC  LIFE. 


241 


ambition  to  emulate  his  own  achievements,  and,  indeed, 
they  were  so  rarely  alluded  to  by  him  in  conversation 
that  the  details  given  in  his  narrative  were  for  the  most 
part  as  new  to  me,  at  the  time  of  its  publication,  as  to 
the  world  at  large.  I  remember  him  only  as  the  coun- 
try gentleman,  living  at  case  in  the  beautiful  homo  at 
Lancaster  which  was  my  birthplace,  and  so  absorbed  in 
the  duties  and  interests  of  the  daily  life  around  him 
that  no  stranger  would  have  suspected  that  the  most 
active  portion  of  his  life  had  been  spent  in  navigating 
the  ocean.  He  had  an  ardent  love  of  nature,  and  a 
keen  perception  of  her  attractive  features,  whether  in 
their  grandest  or  their  most  simple  forms.  He  was  such 
ft  lover  of  flowers  that  it  was  his  constant  custom,  dur- 
ing their  season,  to  carry  a  pink  or  some  other  fragrant 
blossom  in  his  mouth,  and  he  would  preserve  a  single 
one  for  a  whole  day,  laying  it  beside  his  plate  at  meals 
and  resuming  it  afterwards.  He  was  an  appreciative 
reader  of  the  best  literature  of  the  day,  and  was  in  the 
constant  habit  of  reading  aloud  to  my  mother,  and  dis- 
cussing with  her  the  subjects  which  excited  his  interest. 

He  exercised  a  generous  hospitality,  not  in  the  form 
of  ostentatious  banquets  or  large  assemblies,  but  by  mak- 
ing his  home  attractive  to  his  wide  circle  of  friends,  so  that 
it  was  rare  that  some  one  or  more  of  them  was  not  his 
guest,  and  always  unceremoniously,  as  one  of  the  family. 

His  neighbors  and  fellow-townsmen  were  on  terms  of 
friendly  social  intercourse  with  him,  and  he  was  always 
active  in  promoting  the  best  interests  of  the  town, 
where  his  memory  is  still  held  in  respect. 

The  natural  beauty  of  that  lovely  valley  is  still  un- 
11 


242 


VOYAGES  OP  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


changed.  The  Nashua  winds  its  course  througli  the 
rich  meadows  as  of  old ;  tlio  grand  old  elms,  for  which 
its  valley  is  famous,  still  wave  their  gracefully  droop- 
ing arms ;  the  rounded  forms  of  Wachuset  and  Wata- 
toc,  and  the  more  distant  and  picturesque  outline  of  the 
Grand  Monadnoc  are  still  pencilled  against  the  evening 
sky ;  the  seasons  come  and  go  in  all  their  changing 
beauty  as  of  yore ;  but  no  one  remains  upon  the  stage 
who  retains  oven  a  recollection  of  the  actors  whose 
presence  gave  life  to  the  scene  in  the  da}  of  which  I 
speak. 

I  have  elsewhere  mentioned  that  my  father's  anxiety 
to  secure  for  his  children  better  advantages  of  educa- 
tion than  were  afforded  by  the  country  schools  of  the 
day  led  to  the  establishment  at  Lancaster  of  a  classical 
school,  the  selection  of  the  teachers  of  which  was  in- 
trusted to  him,  and  the  first  of  whom  was  Jared  Sparks, 
the  subsequent  historian  and  President  of  Harvard  Col- 
lege. The  second  was  George  B.  Emerson,  whose  sub- 
sequent record  as  a  teacher  and  as  President  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Board  of  Education  has  secured  for  him  a  po- 
sition of  the  highest  order  in  the  annals  of  education, 
and  the  third  was  the  late  Solomon  P.  Miles,  afterwards 
principal  of  the  English  High  School  in  Boston,  who 
but  for  his  premature  death  would  doubtless  have  at- 
tained corresponding  honors.  Each  of  these  eminent 
men  began  his  career  on  leaving  college  by  taking  charge 
of  the  school  established  at  Lancaster,  and  each  of  them 
has  repeatedly  and  enthusiastically  expressed  to  me  his 
sense  of  the  value  to  him,  at  that  critical  period  of  his 
life,  of  the  homelike  influence,  the  warm  personal  friend- 


1^ 


REMINISCENCES  OP  LANCASTER. 


243 


ship,  tlio  genial  Bocial  atmospliero,  and  tho  ready  sym- 
pathy and  coursil,  with  which  his  memory  of  my  fatlior 
and  motliiBr  was  associated. 

The  existence  of  a  school  of  such  high  character  at- 
tracted to  the  town  a  nnmber  of  families  desirous  of 
availing  themselves  of  its  advantagoe,  and  resulted  in 
tho  attainment  of  such  a  standard  of  social  and  intel- 
lectual culture  as  few  country  towns  at  that  day  could 
boast. 

In  Marvin's  History  of  Lancaster,  published  in  1879, 
Miss  Elizabeth  Peabody  communicates  some  very  in- 
teresting reminiscences  of  those  days.  She  was  then  a 
young  lady,  warmly  interested  in  the  cause  of  education, 
to  which  her  life  has  since  been  devoted,  and  was  living 
in  Lancaster,  where  her  father  was,  for  a  time,  settled  as 
a  physician. 

She  alludes  as  follows  to  my  father  and  mother : 


"  Captain  Cleveland  had  retired  on  his  fortune,  gained  in  a  buo- 
cessful  mercantile  career  begun  at  Salem.  He  was  a  noble,  original, 
heroic  character,  who,  inspired  by  a  love  that  was  eventually  crowned 
by  a  most  happy  marriage,  worked  with  the  enthusiasm  and  self- 
devotion  of  a  knight  of  the  days  of  chivalry  to  win  a  fortune  for 
his  bride  elect,  and  with  a  kindred  high  sense  of  honor.  In  the 
course  of  his  career  ho  met  and  united  in  a  bond  of  friendship,  as 
exceptional  as  his  love,  with  Mr.  Shalcr,  who  subsequently  bought 
his  residence.  At  his  house  there  was  every  evening  an  assemblage 
of  those  who  were  interested  in  education,  a  subject  in  which  Mrs. 
Cleveland  was  deeply  absorbed,  having  herself  educated  her  thrco 
boys,  with  the  help  in  the  last  years  of  Messrs.  Sparks,  Emerson,  and 
Miles,  to  all  of  whom  her  hospitable  mansion  was  a  home,  and  she 
their  most  respected  and  beloved  counsellor.  She  had  studied  Rous- 
seau and  Pestalozzi  without  losing  her  own  originality.  The  even- 
ings at  her  house  were  the  greatest  inspiration  to  all  these  educators. 


244 


VOYAGES  OF  A  MERCHANT  NAVIGATOR. 


There  I  met  Colburn,  and  learned  from  his  own  lips  his  idea  of  mak- 
ing cliildrcn  discover  and  malce  for  themselves  the  rules  of  arith- 
metic. ... 

"But  it  "was  not  merely  new  methods  of  intellectual  education 
that  were  discussed  at  these  symposia  nt  Mrs.  Cleveland's,  but  the 
necessity  and  method  of  building  up  character  on  the  Christian  and 
heroic  ideal  of  inspiring  children  with  the  i)ower  to  educate  them- 
selves. 

"  When  I  think  of  those  years  of  my  life  at  Lancaster,  it  seems  ar- 
rayed in  all  the  glory  of  the  ideal.  The  enthusiasm  for  study  among 
the  young  people;  the  enthusiasm  of  educating  in  the  teachers;  tho 
extraordinary  beauty  of  nature ;  the  classic  music  which  Mrs.  Cleve- 
land always  played  to  her  huoband,  who  enjoyed  it  so  much  that 
she  never  allowed  a  visitor  to  interrupt  it;  Mr.  Cleveland's  unworld- 
ly nubility  of  character— all  blend  to  make  it  an  oasis  in  the  desert 
of  this  'work-day  world.'  Life  has  never  seemed  to  me  tame  or 
uninteresting;  but  this  period  is  glorified  in  my  memory,  not  mere- 
ly by  the  subjective  enthusiasm  of  my  own  youthful  reason,  but  by 
the  objective  reality  of  so  many  rare  individualities  congregated  to- 
gether." 


My  own  recollections  of  those  golden  days  of  my 
childhood  and  of  the  happy  home  in  which  they  were 
passed  is  so  vivid,  and  the  contrast  is  so  great  between 
the  pure  and  wholesome  social  atmosphere  which  then 
snrronnded  me,  and  the  heated  and  tainted  air  which 
is  60  widely  prevalent  to-day,  that  I  find  it  hard  to  be- 
lieve that  this  v^an  bo  the  same  world  in  which  I  then 
lived. 

I  alone  am  left  of  those  who  were  nearest  and  deurcst 
to  him,  and  the  home  ho  so  loved  is  no  longer  in  ex- 
istence. His  trials  auf'l  disappointments,  his  courage 
and  perseverance,  his  snccesses  and  failures,  are  only 
"  Beraembered  as  a  tale  that's  told." 

As  the  last  survivor  of  his  family,  I  offer  this  tribute 


CONCLUSION. 


245 


of  respect  to  his  memory,  in  the  faith  that  the  record 
of  such  a  life  is  worthy  of  preservation,  and  the  hope 
that  the  footsteps  he  lias  left  upon  the  sands  of  time 
may  serve  to  give  new  heart  to  **  Some  forlorn  and  ship- 
wrecked brother." 


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With  Portrait  on  Steel.  2  vols.,  8vo,  Cloth,  Uncut  Edges  and 
Gilt  Tops,  $5  00;  Sheep,  $6  00;  Half  Calf,  $9  50.  Pnpulur 
Edition,  2  vols,  in  one,  I2mo,  Cloih,  $1  75. 

TREVELYAN'S  LIFE  OF  FOX.  The  Early  History  of  Charles 
James  Fox.  By  George  Otto  Treveltan.  8vo,  Cloth,  Un- 
cut Edges  and  Gilt  Tops,  $2  50. 

PARTON'S  CARICATURE.  Caricature  and  Other  Comic  Art, 
in  All  Times  and  Many  Lands.  By  James  Parton.  203  Illus- 
trations. 8vo,  Cloth,  Uncut  Edges  and  Gilt  Tops,  |5  00 ;  Half 
Calf,  $7  25.  V 

MAHAFFY'S  GREEK  LITERATURE.  A  History  of  Classical 
Greek  Literature.  By  J.  P.  MAHArrr.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth, 
$1  00. 

SIMCOX'S  LATIN  LITERATURE.  A  History  of  Latin  Lit- 
erature, from  Ennius  to  Boethius.  By  Georqb  Augustus  Sim* 
cox,  M.  A.     2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 


4  Valuabh  Work»  for  PtMie  and  JPrivate  lAbrarUt, 

LOSSING'S  .CYCLOPiGDIA  OF  UNITED  STATES  HISTORY. 
From  the  Aboriginal  Period  to  1876.  By  B.  J.  Lobsino,  LL.D. 
Illustrated  by  2  Steel  Portraits  and  over  1000  Engravings.  2  vols., 
Royal  8vo,  Cloth,  $10  00.    {Sold  by  Subscription  only.) 

LOSSING'S  FIELD-BOOK  OF  THE  REVOLUTION.  Pictorial 
Field-Book  of  the  Revolution ;  or,  Illustrations  by  Pen  and  Pencil 
of  the  History,  Biography,  Scenery,  Relics,  and  Traditions  of  the 
War  fur  Independence.  By  Bunson  J.  I>>88ino.  2  vols.,  Svo. 
Cloth,  $U  00;  Sheep  or  Roan,  $15  00;  Half  Calf,  $18  00. 

LOSSING'S  FIELD-BOOK  OF  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  Pictorial 
Field-Book  of  the  War  of  1812;  or,  Illustrations  by  Pen  and 
Pencil  of  the  History,  Biography,  Scenery,  Relics,  and  Traditions 
of  the  lust  War  for  American  Independence.  By  Benson  J. 
LossiNO.  With  several  hundred  Engravings.  1088  pages,  8vo, 
Cloth,  $7  00 ;  Sheep,  $8  60 ;  Half  Calf,  $10  00. 

DU  CHAILLU'S  LAND  OF  THE  MIDNIGHT  SUN.  Summer 
and  Winter  Journeys  in  Sweden,  Norway,  and  Lapland,  and  North- 
em  Finland.  By  Paul  B.  Do;  Ciiaillu.  Illustrated.  2  vols., 
8vc,  Cloth,  $7  50;  Half  Calf,  $12  00. 

DU  CHAILLU'S  EQUATORIAL  AFRICA.  Explorations  and 
Adventures  in  Equatorial  Africa;  with  Accounts  of  the  Manners 
and  Customs  of  the  People,  and  of  the  Chase  of  the  Gorilla,  Leo« 
pard.  Elephant,  Hippopotamus,  and  other  Animals.  By  P.  B. 
D  J  Chaillu.    Illustrated.    8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00 ;  Half  Calf,  $7  2.5. 

DU  CHAILLU'S  ASHANGO  LAND.  A  Journey  to  Ashango 
Land,  and  Fuither  Penetration  into  Equatorial  Africa.  By  P.  B. 
Du  CuAiLLU.    Illustrated.    8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00 ;  Half  Calf,  $7  25. 

DEXTER'S  CONGREGATIONALISM.  The  Congregationalism 
of  the  Last  Three  Hundred  Years,  as  Seen  in  its  Literature :  with 
Special  Reference  to  certain  Recondite,  Neglected,  or  Disputed 
Passages.  With  a  Bibliographical  Appendix.  By  II.  M.  Dexter. 
Largo  8vo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

STANLEY'S  THROUGH  THE  DARK  CONTINENT.  Through 
the  Dark  Continent ;  or.  The  Sources  of  the  Nile,  Around  the 
Great  Lakes  of  Equatorial  Africa,  and  Down  the  Livingstone 
River  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  149  Illustrations  and  10  Maps.  By 
H.  M.  Stanley.  2  vols.,  8vo,  Cloth,  $10  00;  Half  Morocco, 
$15  00. 


VaiucAU  Worh  for  Public  and  Private  Libraries. 


BARTLETTS  FROM  EGYPT  TO  PALESTINE.  Through 
Sinai,  the  Wilderness,  and  the  South  Country.  Observations  of 
a  Journey  made  with  Special  Reference  to  the  History  of  the  Is- 
raelites. By  S.  C.  Babtlbtt,  D.D.  Maps  and  Illustration& 
8vo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

FORSTER'S  LIFE  OF  DEAN  SWIFT.  The  Early  Life  of 
Jonathan  Swift  (1667-1711).  By  John  Forster.  With  Por- 
trait.    8vo,  Cloth,  Uncut  Edges  and  Gilt  Tops,  $2  50. 

GREEN'S  ENGLISH  PEOPLE.  History  of  the  Englwh  People. 
By  John  Richard  Grukn,  M.A.  With  Maps.  4  vols.,  Byo, 
Cloth,  $10  00;  Sheep,  $1200;  Half  Calf,  $19  00. 

GREEN'S  MAKING  OF  ENGLAND.  The  Making  of  England. 
By  J.  R.  GuBEN.    With  Majjs.     8vo,  Cloth,  $2  6o. 

GREEN'S  CONQUEST  OF  ENGLAND.  The  Conquest  of  Eng- 
land.   By  J.  R.  Green.    With  Maps.     8vo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

SHORT'S  NORTH  AMERICANS  OF  ANTIQUITY.  Tho 
North  Americans  of  Antiquity.  Their  Origin,  Migrations,  and 
Type  of  Civilization  Considered.  By  John  T.  Short.  Illus- 
trated.    8vo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

SQUIER'S  PERU.  Peru:  Incidents  of  Travel  rnd  Exploration 
in  the  Land  of  the  Incas.  By  E.  Georog  Squier,  M.  A.,  F.S.A., 
late  U.  S.  Commissioner  to  Peru.  With  Illustrations.  8vo, 
Cloth,  $5  00. 

BENJAMIN'S  ART  IN  EUROPE.  Contemporary  Art  in  Europe. 
By  S.  G.  W.  Benjamin.  Illustrated.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  50;  Half 
Calf,  $5  75. 

BENJAMIN'S  ART  IN  AMERICA.  Art  in  America.  By  S. 
G.  W.  Benjamin.  Illustrated.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00;  Half  Calf, 
$6  25. 

REBER'S  history  of  ANCIENT  ART.  History  of  Ancient 
Art.  By  Dr.  Franz  von  Reder.  liovised  by  tho  Author. 
Translated  and  Augmented  by  Joseph  Thacher  Clarke.  With 
310  Illustrations  and  a  Glossaty  of  Technical  Terms.  8vo,  Cloth, 
$3  60. 

GROTE'S  HISTORY  OF  GREECE.  12  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth, 
$18  00;  Sheep,  $22  80;  Half  Calf,  $39  00. 


8 


Valuable  Works  for  Public  and  Private  Librariea. 


ADAMS'S  MANUAL  OF  HISTORICAL  LITERATURE.  A 
Manual  of  ULstorical  Literntuie.  Comprising  Drief  Descriptions 
of  the  Most  Important  Histories  in  English,  French,  nnd  Ger- 
man.    By  Trofessor  C.  K.  Adams.     8vo,  Cloth,  $2  £0. 

KINGLAKE'S  CRIMEAN  WAR.  The  Invasion  of  the  Crimea: 
its  Origin,  and  an  Account  of  its  Progress  down  to  the  Death 
of  Lord  Raglan.  By  Alexander  Wiluam  Kinglakh.  With 
Maps  and  Plans.  Four  Volumes  now  ready.  ]2mo,  Cloth,  $2  00 
per  vol. 

MAURY'S  PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY  OP  THE  SEA.  The 
Physical  Geography  of  the  Sen,  and  its  Meteorology.  By  M.  F. 
Mauut,  LL.D.    8vo,  Cloth,  $4  GO. 

IIALLAM'S  LITERATURE.  Introduction  to  the  Literature  of 
Europe  during  the  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  and  Seventeenth  Cent- 
uries. By  Henbt  IIallam.  2  vols.,  8vo,  Clotl),  $4  GO;  Sheep, 
$5  00. 

HALLAM'S  MIDDLE  AGES.  View  of  the  State  of  Europe  dur- 
ing the  Middle  Ages.  By  II.  IIallam.  8vo,  Cloth,  $2  00; 
Sheep,  $2  50. 

HALLAM'S  CONSTITUTIONAL  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 
The  Constitutional  History  of  England,  from  the  Accession  of 
Henry  VII.  to  the  Death  of  George  II.  By  Hehst  Hallam. 
8vo,  Cloth,  $2  00;  Sheep,  $2  60. 

NEWCOMB'S  ASTRONOMY.  Popular  Astronomy.  By  Simon 
Newcomb,  LL.D.  With  112  Engravings,  and  5  Maps  of  the 
Stars.    8vo,  Cloth,  $2  50;  School  Edition,  12mo,  Cloth,  ^1  80. 

VAN-LENNEP'S  BIBLE  LANDS,  Bible  Lands:  their  Modern 
Custom  and  Manners  Illustrative  of  Scripture.  By  Henbt  J. 
Van-Lennep,  D.D.  850  Engravings  and  2  Colored  Maps.  8vo, 
Cloth,  $5  00 ;  Sheep,  $6  00 ;  Half  Morocco,  $8  00. 

PRIME'S  POTTERY  AND  PORCELAIN.  Pottery  and  Porce- 
lain of  All  Times  and  Nations.  With  Tables  of  Factory  and 
Artists'  Marks,  for  the  Use  of  Collectors.  By  William  C. 
Fbimk,  LL.D.  Illustrated.  8vo,  Cloth,  Uncut  Edges  and  Gilt 
Tops,  17  00;  Half  Calf,  fO  25.    (In  a  Box.) 


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